FBI raids Cohen; Trump brands Mueller's probe an 'attack on country'

President Donald Trump branded special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian election meddling "an attack on our country", escalating his criticism of the yearlong investigation after federal authorities raided the offices of his personal attorney.

Agents today seized records from the offices of longtime Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen, on topics including a $130,000 payment made to a porn actress who says she had sex with Trump more than a decade ago.

Hours later, flanked by the nation's top military brass, Trump unleashed his sharpest invective against the sweeping investigation to date, calling the search "a disgrace."

"It's an attack on our country in a true sense," Trump said. "It's an attack on what we all stand for." He added it marked a "whole new level of unfairness" by Mueller and his team.

Trump called the probe a "witch hunt," suggesting it was a distraction from serious issues, like the consideration of a military response to Syria's apparent use of a chemical weapon on civilians over the weekend which was a subject of his meeting with the defense secretary, the joint chiefs of staff and US combatant commanders.

Trump team paid $130,000 to hush porn star after an alleged affair: Reports

A lawyer for US President Donald Trump arranged to fork over $130,000 in hush money to a former porn star a month before the 2016 election over an alleged affair, a new report has said.

Popularly known as "Stormy Daniels" had a "hookup" with Trump the married future President in 2006, the New York Post said.

Michael Cohen, an attorney for the Trump Organisation, set up the payment to the woman - whose real name is Stephanie Clifford - in a negotiated nondisclosure agreement, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Clifford alleged that the "hookup" took place in July 2006 - a year after Trump married his third wife and present First lady Melania Trump.

Clifford said they met at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.

The White House minimised the salacious revelation - one of many alleged incidents of inappropriate behaviour with women the President has faced and denied, the NYP report said.

"These are old, recycled reports, which were published and strongly denied prior to the election," a White House official told the WSJ.

The official would not answer questions about the reported deal with Clifford - who performed in about 150 porn films, including "Dirty Deeds", "Nymphos" and "Good Will Humping", a XXX-rated spoof of the flick "Good Will Hunting".
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