Experts worry row may cause further damage, harm security

PALM BEACH, Florida — President Donald Trump said on Saturday that a controversial memo attacking federal law enforcement written by congressional Republicans vindicates him in the investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 US election.

Trump’s embrace of the memo raised again the prospect that he could use it as justification to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, who is conducting the investigation, or Deputy Attorney Rod Rosenstein, who oversees Mueller.

Tweeting from his resort in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said the memo “totally vindicates” him but added “the Russian Witch Hunt goes on and on. Their (sic) was no Collusion and there was no Obstruction.” He called the investigation “an American disgrace”.

The White House has said there will be no changes at the Justice Department as a result of the memo’s conclusions.

The memo, written by Republicans on the US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee chaired by Devin Nunes, argues that the federal

Longer term, it politicizes intelligence, counterintelligence and law enforcement ...”

Dan Mahaffee, senior vicepresident and director of policy at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress investigation of potential collusion between Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russia was a product of political bias against Trump at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Justice Department.

Experts said the row threatens to further damage the already poor relations between the White House and the FBI, and could even endanger US security.

“Longer term, it politicizes intelligence, counterintelligence and law enforcement in a way that is fundamentally dangerous for the country’s security,” said Dan Mahaffee, senior vice-president and director of policy at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.

Trump’s move is the latest in