Gop hill leaders back away from trump on wiretap allegations

A significant development in the ongoing controversy surrounding President Trump's claims of wiretapping by the Obama administration.

On March 20, 2017, several top Republican leaders in the House of Representatives distanced themselves from President Trump's allegations of wiretapping, saying they had seen no evidence to support his claims. This marked a significant shift in the party's stance, as many Republicans had initially been hesitant to criticize the President's assertions.

The leaders who backed away from Trump's claims included:

1. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI): Ryan said he had seen no evidence to support Trump's allegations and that the House Intelligence Committee would investigate the matter further.
2. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA): Nunes, who had initially been a strong supporter of Trump's claims, said that his committee had found no evidence of wiretapping and that the President's allegations were "unsubstantiated."
3. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC): Burr said that his committee had also found no evidence of wiretapping and that the allegations were "unsubstantiated."
4. House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT): Chaffetz said that his committee would investigate the matter, but that he had seen no evidence to support Trump's claims.

These statements marked a significant shift in the party's stance, as many Republicans had initially been hesitant to criticize the President's assertions. The move was seen as a sign that the party was beginning to distance itself from Trump's claims, which had been widely criticized as unfounded and potentially damaging to the country's institutions.

The controversy surrounding Trump's wiretapping allegations had been ongoing for several weeks, with the President making the claims in a series of tweets on March 4, 2017. The allegations were widely seen as baseless and were met with widespread criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.

The development was significant because it marked a rare instance of Republican leaders publicly disagreeing with the President, and it highlighted the growing divisions within the party over Trump's leadership style and policies.