Local leaders weigh in on Trump wiretapping allegations

U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett said at a town hall in downtown Austin the allegations of President Obama wiretapping are shocking and he feels each day with President Trump is a little more unbelievable than the previous one.

The town hall was put on by Indivisible Austin, a grass roots campaign uniting people who oppose what they say is a harmful agenda of the Trump White House. Rep. Doggett spoke at the gathering and wiretapping is just one of the topics he talked about.

The crowd got fired up when Rep. Doggett took the stage, “I can tell you that my whole message can be summed up in just one word, resist,” he said to a foot stomping crowd. “People realize that our country is in a dangerous spot and unless they care enough to stay involved we won't turn the country around,” Rep. Doggett said.

Rep. Doggett took questions from the audience on many topics including immigration, LGBTQ protections, global warming, and the trump administration.

Regarding the wiretapping, Doggett said President Trump is living in a fantasy world and is trying to distract attention from Jeff Sessions and Russia. “I will say why don't we turn this over to an independent citizen’s investigation. Put in anything they want. What we need is a true investigation, not a cover up in the intelligence committee but a true investigation like the 911 investigation to get to the bottom of all the fantasy and the real danger to our national security,” he said.

Those attending the town hall said they need more people contributing to politics. A. Whitney Brown was at the event, “We have had this great luxury in the united states unlike any other democracy where we are able to just ignore politics, because we've had a pretty good government, that luxury is something that we've taken for granted. But it truly is a luxury to be able to ignore politics and not vote. I don’t think we have that luxury anymore,” he said.

Rep. Doggett said while the President may not be listening to those at the gatherings, some politicians are. “I hope people will see much of the groups that were here focusing on that kind of change, and not thinking that a march a week will solve the problems. I believe the outcry around the country is directed at people like me and my colleagues who have a vote up there and can do something about this, if they are willing to do it."