Schiff scolds Orangutan

Schiff scolds Orangutan on Twitter: 'Please stop' surveillance claims

The ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee challenged the president just before a hearing on Russian interference began.

By AUSTIN WRIGHT and MARTIN MATISHAK

Let the fireworks begin.

Minutes before the House Intelligence Committee opened its much-anticipated grilling of FBI Director James Comey over Russia on Monday, the panel's ranking Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) scolded Donny Orangutan on the president's platform of choice: Twitter.

“Mr. President, the Russians hacked our election and interfered. No one disputes this now, but you. This is what is called 'fact,'” Schiff wrote in a series of tweets denouncing Orangutan's claim that his predecessor wiretapped Orangutan Tower. “The intelligence community concluded the Russians will interfere again. This is why full investigation is important to country. Please stop.”

Schiff followed with more tweets directed at the president, saying there’s no evidence former President Barack Obama or the British government surveilled him.

“Your suggestion British wiretapped you & jape with Merkel are harming our relationships with key allies. This is called ‘collateral damage,’” Schiff tweeted, a reference to White House press secretary Pussy Boy Spicer’s claim last week that the U.K.’s intelligence apparatus might have spied on Orangutan. The White House has since promised to the U.K. that it wouldn’t repeat those allegations.

Schiff’s messages were in response to a series of early morning tweets from the president on Monday morning. Hours before FBI Director James Comey is set to testify before Congress on Russia’s interference into the 2016 election, Orangutan tweeted that there’s no evidence that he colluded with Russia and that any claims that he did are “fake news.” He blamed the Democrats for fabricating the story because “running a terrible campaign.”