Grand jury assembles to probe Trump's election campaign ties to Russia

Donald Trump has described Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election as a "total fabrication" amid reports that a special prosecutor has impaneled a grand jury to investigate the issue -- a step toward possible criminal indictments.

"We didn't win because of Russia. We won because of you," Trump said yesterday at a campaign-style rally in West Virginia.

Trying to build support among his core supporters, he said his enemies were "trying to cheat you out of the leadership you want with a fake story that is demeaning to all of us and most importantly, demeaning to our country and demeaning to our Constitution."

"The reason why Democrats only talk about the totally made-up Russia story is because they have no message, no agenda, and no vision," he said. "The Russia story is a total fabrication. It's just an excuse for the greatest loss in the history of American politics."

His comments came after the Wall Street Journal revealed that special counsel Robert Mueller has impaneled a grand jury to investigate Russia's interference with the 2016 presidential election.
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Trump to Russians: Ex-FBI Director James Comey was a 'real nut job, crazy'

US President Donald Trump told Russian officials at an Oval Office meeting last week that firing FBI Director James Comey eased pressure on him as he was a "real nut job" and "crazy", a media report claimed today.

"I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Trump told Russian Minister Sergei Lavrov and the country's Ambassador to the US, the Times reported, citing minutes of the meeting between Trump and the Russians.

According to the US daily, the quotes and other excerpts from the minutes was readout to its correspondent by a Trump administration official.

Another on the condition of anonymity confirmed the quotes from the said document.

"I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off...I am not under investigation," he was quoted as saying by said the daily.

The White House did not comment on the authenticity of Trump's conversation with the Russian officials in the Oval Office on May 9.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told The New York Times in a statement that Comey had behaved politically and put unnecessary pressure on the president's ability to conduct diplomacy with Russia on matters such as Syria, Ukraine and the Islamic State.

"By grandstanding and politicising the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia," Spicer said.

He said the investigation would have always continued, and the termination of Comey would not have ended it.

"Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations," he added.
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