Donald Trump's claim phones at Trump Tower were bugged during 2016 presidential race is likely true — but rather by the Justice Department than by President Barack Obama as the commander-in-chief claims, former Gov. John Sununu, R-N.H., told Newsmax TV.

And the liberal press is playing both sides of the fence in its reporting Trump's charges, which were made in a series of controversial tweets, Sununu told host Steve Malzberg on Monday's "America Talks Live."

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"Up until the Trump tweet on being tapped, the theme in the liberal press was Trump and his people were doing horrible things, and we know it because their phone calls were tapped," Sununu said. "Now that Trump says he was tapped, they reverse their claim.

"This again is another case of the liberal media trying to have their cake and eat it too, or trying to have our cake and eat it too. They were all gloating before his tweet that there was information from wiretaps available to embarrass the Trump administration.

"The mistake Trump made was saying Obama did it instead of the Obama administration ordered it . . . It probably was the Obama administration through the Loretta Lynch Justice Department that did it."

Sununu said he believes Attorney General Jeff Sessions is "trying to find all the information there and eventually will put whatever they have in public, but it is amazing to me how quickly . . . the liberal press, can reverse course and not be called on it."

Sununu, who served as chief of staff to George H.W. Bush, is the author of "The Quiet Man: The Indispensable Presidency of George H.W. Bush," published by Broadside Books.