Donald Trump hits back at his critics boasting ‘I can’t be doing so badly because I’m president and you’re not!’
DONALD Trump has defended his unsubstantiated claims about Barack Obama tapping his phones by saying he has correctly predicted several world events - adding "I'm president, and you're not".
The firebrand leader rejected suggestions his credibility had been damaged by his allegations of wire-tapping and election fraud against his predecessor, telling reporters he had been "totally right" about events including Brexit and unrest in Sweden.
It comes as the Trump family announced it was launching a new hotel chain, despite critics saying its company is already too big and secretive for a sitting President to own.
In a new interview, Trump told Time magazine he had foreseen things which later appeared to come true.
The president said: "I predicted a lot of things, Some things that came to you a little bit later.
"Sweden. I make the statement, everyone goes crazy.
"The next day they have a massive riot, and death, and problems."
Trump astonished Sweden last month by appearing to refer to a non-existent terror incident in the country, which he argued was paying a high price for its generous asylum policy.
Two days after his comments a riot broke out in a high-immigration Stockholm suburb, leading Trump supporters to argue he had been vindicated.
Some cars were set on fire, and police hit with stones, but there were no reports of serious injuries or deaths.
Trump also claimed his remarks concerning the Nato alliance and Brexit had been prescient.
He said: "NATO, obsolete, because it doesn't cover terrorism.
"They fixed that, and I said that the allies must pay.
"Nobody knew that they weren't paying. I did. I figured it."
"Brexit, I was totally right about that."
Pressed on his unsubstantiated and widely-challenged claims that three million illegal votes were cast in the election, and that Barack Obama had tapped his phones, Trump insisted his credibility had not been dented.
He said: "I guess, I can't be doing so badly, because I'm president, and you're not. You know."
In further controversy, it was revealed this week that Trump’s former campaign manager signed a secret, $10 million contract with a Russian billionaire which advanced the interests of President Putin.
The comments come after Trump announced a ban on electronics being taken onto planes from eight Muslim-majority countries weeks after signing a second "travel ban" executive order.
But he wasn't so warm towards German chancellor Angela Merkel, refusing to shake her hand after a meeting in Washington.
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