According to recent reports, US intelligence agencies have warned that Russia is attempting to help President Donald Trump get re-elected in November.
It appears the comments came in a closed-door briefing to the House Intelligence Committee on February 13.
President Trump was reportedly enraged, complaining that Democrats would use the information against him.
Donald Trump replaced his acting intelligence chief, Joseph Maguire, on February 20.
The New York Times reported that President Trump was particularly angry that Adam Schiff, the Democrat who led the impeachment proceedings against him, was at the briefing.
Donald Trump, impeached by the House of Representatives for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, was acquitted after a two-week trial in the Republican-controlled Senate.
During the House intelligence briefing, President Trump’s supporters argued that he had taken a hard stance with Russia, and that European ties and security had been strengthened as a result, the newspaper added.
Adam Schiff later tweeted that if Donald Trump was in any way “interfering” with the sharing of information between US intelligence agencies and Congress regarding foreign interference in the election process, the president was “jeopardizing” attempts to stop it.
Joseph Maguire was a favorite to be nominated for the permanent Director of National Intelligence (DNI) post, the Washington Post said.
However, the publication said President Trump changed his mind when he found out about the briefing, and what he called the “disloyalty” of his staff.
The president announced this week that Joseph Maguire would be replaced by Richard Grenell, the US ambassador to Germany and a Trump loyalist.
Two Trump administration officials told the New York Times that the replacement of Joseph Maguire, so soon after the contentious briefing, was a coincidence.
US intelligence officials say Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to boost Donald Trump’s campaign and cause chaos within the US electoral process.
Democrats criticized the president for appointing Richard Grenell, who has previously played down the extent of Russian interference in the last election, and has celebrated the rise of far-right politicians in Europe.
Ned Price, a former aide to President Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama, said the president had “dropped the charade that he has any use for intelligence”.
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