Kellyanne Conway has suggested Barack Obama could have spied on Donald Trump through a microwave.
A senior aide to President Trump, Conway said surveillance such as “microwaves that turn into cameras” are “a fact of modern life” along with tapping phones and spying through televisions. In the interview with the Bergen Record, Conway was asked about Trump’s unsubstantiated claim Obama spied on him.
“What I can say is there are many ways to surveil each other,” Conway replied. “You can surveil someone through their phones, certainly through their television sets – any number of different ways.”
She then added: “Microwaves that turn into cameras etc” – but it’s fair to say not everyone agrees with Conway’s claim.
Kellyanne Conway says President Obama could have been spying on President Trump through his microwave. pic.twitter.com/cwcQXH3C4a
— AJ+ (@ajplus) March 13, 2017
In fact, the claim has been regarded with some ridicule.
Breaking: Kellyanne Conway finally provides evidence Obama used microwave to spy on #Trumprussia. #ImpeachTrump #resist #KellyanneConway pic.twitter.com/782M2f6OD6
— Gerald M. (@nukker3) March 13, 2017
#KellyanneConway might be onto something. pic.twitter.com/K77hwozxMK
— Comedy Central (@ComedyCentral) March 13, 2017
And tongues were very much in cheeks.
#KellyanneConway the microwave is the leader but these guys are pretty clever too. Be vigilant. pic.twitter.com/eKwfWZOglH
— Mrs. Brown (@MrsBrow60210191) March 13, 2017
I thought the whole microwaves spying on us was bunk till I caught my stove & microwave battling it out this morning… pic.twitter.com/NzzdsVBW3X
— The Anti-Trump (@IMPL0RABLE) March 13, 2017
Don't let Kellyanne Conway's remarks scare you.
You can disable the CIA's wiretaps by using your microwave on the 'beverage' setting.— Erik Bransteen (@erikbransteen) March 13, 2017
Under careful deliberation, I have decided to deep – six my Microwave. And move to a very basic toaster oven. Thanks – Kellyanne conway!
— Adelino Camara (@ADIC33) March 13, 2017
The claim microwaves can be used for video surveillance has also been discounted by experts. Speaking with Wired, microwave imaging and radar researcher Stephen Frasier reportedly laughed as he said “unless it’s a voice-activated microwave oven connected to the internet” then it could not conceivably be done.Conway has since responded to the claims by telling CNN “I’m not inspector Gadget. I don’t believe people are using the microwave to spy on the Trump campaign. However I’m not in the job of having evidence, that’s what investigations are for”.
Conway has also taken to Twitter armed with the hashtag “#FakeNewsAlert” to discount a story from the Independent about her microwave claims – insisting she never made a connection between Obama and her comments on surveillance, which she has said were “general”.Whether or not she meant Obama was tapping Trump’s microwave, while Conway continues to make claims about surveillance openly – based on no evidence – tweets like this will probably continue.
Proof that Obama has been secretly taping Trump… #KellyanneConway pic.twitter.com/FCeR8UJ6x7
— CK (@charley_ck14) March 13, 2017