Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington, said that President Trump’s “no evidence claims” that President Obama wiretapped the New York businessman during the 2016 presidential campaign are meant to distract the media and the public from continuing investigations into links between the Trump team and the Russians. Offering outlandish claims is how Trump tries to distract attention from problematic issues, as he did throughout the campaign during his first month as president, Farnsworth said.