The White House has reportedly promised not to repeat claims that the U.K. wiretapped President Donald Trump during his presidential campaign.
"He didn't use the NSA, he didn't use the CIA, he didn't use the FBI and he didn't use the Department of Justice. He used GCHQ," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said during a press briefing Thursday.
Spicer was citing Fox News analyst Andrew Napolitano, who recently suggested British intelligence agency GCHQ had helped then-President Barack Obama spy on Trump.
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Regardless of where the accusation originated, British officials weren't too happy when they heard it.
In a rare public statement, the GCHQ called the allegations "nonsense," adding, "They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored."
According to CNN, national security adviser H.R. McMaster made a formal apology to the U.K. government.
And a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Theresa May told reporters the country made it clear to the U.S. administration that the claims are "ridiculous and should be ignored" and that the U.K. received assurances the allegations wouldn't be repeated.
Trump continues to stand by his original claim that Obama spied on him before the election. But U.S. officials say they have yet to see any evidence that actually happened.
