Appearing on CNN, ex-CIA Director Michael Hayden began to laugh when asked if it was possible that former President Barack Obama might have called a division of British intelligence and asked them to bug President Donald Trump before the election.
With GOP lawmakers reluctantly stating they have seen no evidence the U.S. intelligence community was surveiling then-candidate Trump, advocates for the President have suggested that Obama "off-shored" the illegal bugging to the U.K.'s version of the NSA.
Pressed by MSNBC host Michael Smerconish whether that was even possible, Hayden smirked before explaining how the intelligence services actually work.
"I'm sorry, I'm trying to suppress a laugh here," Hayden began. "That is so far from reality, so far from the relationship we have within the 'Five Eyes' community."
"Look, we're really close," he continued. "It is an integrated operation, but one absolute rule is that no one can ask partners to do that which is illegal for himself, or that which is illegal for the partner. And that's never been done in the 'Five Eyes' alliance."
Asked if the NSA had ever received such a request from another country, Hayden shot that down too.
"That is way up there in seriousness, " he replied. "I'm telling you we can't do anything for an ally that the ally itself isn't allowed to do. You can't export or off-shore these requirements because your law prevents you from doing them."
Hayden later explained the steps intel agencies need to take before starting surveillance of an individual in the U.S.
Watch the video below via YouTube:
