UK intel agency slams Trump for 'utterly ridiculous' claim that it spied on him for Obama
Donald Trump addresses the Kansas State Republican caucus. (mark reinstein / Shutterstock.com)

British intelligence agency GCHQ on Wednesday hit back at President Donald Trump after he accused them of "spying" on his campaign at the behest of former President Barack Obama.


In an early-morning tweet on Wednesday, Trump cited conspiracy theorist Larry Johnson to claim that the U.K. had conspired with the Obama administration to improperly spy on him in 2016.

"'Former CIA analyst Larry Johnson accuses United Kingdom Intelligence of helping Obama Administration Spy on the 2016 Trump Presidential Campaign,'" the president tweeted, citing a report by the right-wing One America Now Network. “WOW! It is now just a question of time before the truth comes out, and when it does, it will be a beauty!"

In a statement given to Newsweek, however, the spy agency urged people to ignore Trump's latest Twitter rant as an unhinged conspiracy theory.

"As we have previously stated, the allegations that GCHQ was asked to conduct 'wire tapping' against the then-president elect are nonsense," a spokesperson told the publication. "They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored."

Johnson, the former CIA employee cited by Trump, drew notoriety in 2008 for hyping up a supposed video of former first lady Michelle Obama ranting about "whitey" that turned out to not exist.