Trump signs bill extending surveillance law — the same law he says was used to spy on him

WASHINGTON — President Trump signed a bill Friday to reauthorize a controversial government surveillance program, extending the ability of law enforcement officials to collect and keep — but not always see — the private communications of American citizens.

But even as he signed the renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act into law, he insisted that it was different from the existing version he claims President Barack Obama used to spy on him.

"This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election," Trump said via Twitter. "I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first!"

Just signed 702 Bill to reauthorize foreign intelligence collection. This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election. I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2018

Trump first suggested a year ago — with no supporting evidence — that Obama authorized eavesdropping on Trump Tower during the election. He made a similar suggestion last week when he tweeted that the law had been used "to so badly surveil and abuse the Trump campaign by the previous administration."

That assertion briefly threw the fate of the bill into doubt until White House officials later clarified that the president still supports the renewal of the surveillance provisions, known as Section 702.

The bill was set to expire Friday unless Trump signed the renewal into law. It has now been approved by Congress three times under three different presidents.

Trump signed the bill with a presidential signing statement that gave no hint of any constitutional objections to the program. He noted that the law allows intelligence agencies to target only non-U.S. citizens outside the United States. And while those targets might communicate with or about people in the United States, Trump said the law "provides robust privacy protections for American citizens."

More: What is the Section 702 surveillance program and why should you care?

Trump's only regret: He would have wanted Congress to make the surveillance program permanent.