Trump calls his former FBI chief Comey a coward

Yet President’s son appears to confirm ex-director’s claim US leader interfered with Russia investigation

DONALD TRUMP yesterday launched another Twitter attack on his former FBI director, describing him as “cowardly” and accusing him of multiple leaks of information. Washington is still absorbing the public testimony of James Comey, who last week said that he believed he was fired because of his investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.

The president’s supporters are hitting back, focusing on his admission that he passed information about one of his Oval Office meetings – in which he said the president allegedly asked him to drop part of his inquiry – to The New York Times via a friend.

Yesterday, Mr Trump tweeted: “I believe the James Comey leaks will be far more prevalent than anyone ever thought possible. Totally illegal? Very ‘cowardly!’”

It leaves the Russia investigation once again hanging over a White House trying to pivot to policy.

Mr Trump is due to promote his plans for apprenticeships this week, capitalising on his TV show The Apprentice to distract from his political travails.

Last week his former FBI director revealed the president said to him, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go,” in an apparent attempt to end any inquiry into the activities of Michael Flynn, who was fired as national security adviser. Mr Comey said he understood it to be an attempt to influence an investigation.

Mr Trump denied that account. “I didn’t say that,” he said on Friday.

However, his eldest son appears to have corroborated Mr Comey’s version of events even as he tried to defend his father. Donald Trump Jr confirmed the words used by his father in the February 14 meeting but suggested it did not amount to an order. “When he tells you to do something, guess what? There’s no ambiguity in it, there’s no, ‘Hey, I’m hoping,’” he told Fox News.

“You and I are friends: ‘Hey, I hope this happens, but you’ve got to do your job’. That’s what he told Comey.” The controversy stems from Russian efforts to sway last year’s presidential election in favour of Mr Trump.

Although there is no evidence that any members of the Trump campaign colluded with hackers, questions about their ties to Russia and suspicions of a cover-up continue to dominate US politics. This week Mr Trump has also promised to reveal whether he recorded the conversations, evidence that could yet settle the back-and-forth over what exactly he said to his FBI director.

The president spent the weekend at his New Jersey golf club, where he made an appearance at a wedding reception on Saturday night.

Photographs posted to social media showed Mr Trump with the happy couple and signing Make America Great Again hats.