The New York Times addressed claims from the White House that their own reporting supported President Donald Trump's statements that President Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower during the 2016 campaign.
The Times' public editor Liz Spayd wrote on Wednesday that while the Times did not provide clear information, it is better that their publication report the story than others "with flagrant political motives."
Spayd evaluated Trump's claim and said that Trump's tweet bearing his accusation was one of many "self-inflicted wounds."
How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017
Spayd also said that there were similarities between what Trump was referring to and recent reporting from the Times.
"On the surface, there are similarities. Both The Times and Trump have referred to wiretaps," Spayd wrote. "Both have referenced White House knowledge of the investigations. And both have described efforts by officials from the Obama administration to involve itself in the continuing investigations of Trump and Russia."
Spayd's conclusion was that the Times was referring to something different, and blamed "several conservative media outlets" as being Trump's sources.
"Hoping to take advantage of the circumstances, not only the White House but several conservative media outlets are now trying to assert that The Times’s reporting is proof that Trump is right in his claims," Spayd wrote.
"That is a bold exaggeration, but it is made more possible by a shortage of clear and complete information on The Times’s part," she continued. "Better if The Times helps readers understand this crucial story than let others, with flagrant political motives, do so."