Trump blasts ‘treasonous’ claims of collusion

Donald Trump vowed yesterday that people who pushed ‘‘evil’’ claims he colluded with Russia would be investigated, after special counsel Robert Mueller found there had been no conspiracy with the Kremlin.

The US president said those making the allegations over his 2016 election conduct had been ‘‘treasonous’’, adding that they ‘‘will certainly be looked at’’.

The White House went on the attack after claiming ‘‘complete exoneration’’ from Mueller, despite the fact the special counsel himself did not clear Trump over obstruction of justice.

Sarah Sanders and Rudy Giuliani, the president’s press secretary and lawyer, demanded the Democrats and ‘‘liberal media’’ who talked up collusion apologise.

Lindsey Graham, the Republican senator, demanded a new special counsel investigate FBI and Justice Department officials who began the probe.

The main findings from the 22-month probe came in a fourpage memo from William Barr, the attorney general, and amounted to a major political victory for the president.

The Democrats are demanding the full report be made public and its underlying documents be handed to Congress. They are also vowing to continue investigations they started after taking back control of the House of Representatives in January,.

Speaking alongside Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, yesterday, Trump lashed out at those who pushed the collusion claims and expressed relief the probe was over. ‘‘I love this country as much as I can love anything – my family, my country, my god. But what they did, it was a false narrative, it was a terrible thing,’’ Trump said.

‘‘There are a lot of people out there that have done some very, very evil things, very bad things, I would say treasonous things against our country ... [and] those people will certainly be looked at’’.

Trump also said ‘‘yes’’ when asked if he believed Mueller had acted honourably.