Trump floats 'fake memos' idea as FBI row intensifies

US President Donald Trump intensified his attack on the FBI on Sunday calling for notes of conversations with him, written by former director James Comey and his recently fired deputy Andrew McCabe, to be dubbed "fake memos". 

He also accused Mr Comey of lying under oath during evidence to a senate committee last year and condemned the investigation, led by Robert Mueller, for being staffed overwhelmingly by Democrats.

The US leader's early morning Twitter salvo came after a long weekend of aggression from Mr Trump, triggered by the firing of Mr McCabe on Friday. 

He took shots at both the law enforcement agency and the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

He wrote: "Spent very little time with Andrew McCabe, but he never took notes when he was with me. I don’t believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey. Can we call them Fake Memos?"

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Mr Trump's remarks refer to news that both men kept contemporaneous notes of interactions with the president which have now been handed to the Mueller team. 

It is believed that the memos could bolster the view that Mr Trump sought to obstruct justice by requesting Mr Comey drop an inquiry into Michael Flynn, his former National Security Adviser. The president has always denied he pressured the former director.

Mr McCabe is known to have had at least three meetings with Mr Trump and according to the  Associated Press, his written records include details of  both his own interactions with the president and his recall of conversations he had with Mr Comey.

He was fired on Friday by Attorney General Jeff Sessions after an investigation found he had leaked to the media and been less than candid under oath during interviews. He was just two days away from retiring on a full federal pension after 21 years of service. 

Mr Trump appeared to delight in the development on Friday, declaring it a "great day for the hardworking men and women of the FBI" and describing Mr Comey as "sanctimonious."

In turn, Mr Comey who has a book out next month, said: "The American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not." 

The tit-for-tat spat continued on Sunday with the US leader accusing Mr Comey of lying under oath during a hearing last May when he denied he was ever an anonymous source for media stories. He later admitted to authorising a leak.

"Wow, watch Comey lie under oath to Senator G when asked 'have you ever been an anonymous source...or known someone else to be an anonymous source...?' He said strongly 'never, no.' He lied as shown clearly on @foxandfriends."

Mr McCabe said he was sacrificed as part of Mr Trump's "war" on the FBI and part of a political maneuver intended to undermine the special counsel investigation. 

On Sunday, prominent Republican Lindsey Graham raised concerns about his dismissal calling for a Senate Judiciary hearing.

“I think we owe it to the average American to have a hearing in the judiciary committee where Attorney General Sessions comes forward with whatever documentation he has about the firing, and give Mr McCabe the chance to defend himself.

“I believe when it comes to this issue we need as much transparency as possible to make sure it wasn’t politically motivated."

Meanwhile Mr Trump raised questions about the impartiality of the Mueller investigation team.

"Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added... does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!"

Some in Washington fear he is planning Robert Mueller's dismissal.

But  former New Jersey governor, Chris Christie, a confidante of Mr Trump, said Sunday that he didn't believe that would happen.

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"As for Bob Mueller, he’s conducted this investigation so far with great integrity, without leaking and by showing results,” he told US TV.

“I don’t think the president is going to fire someone like that.”

The lawyer representing  Andrew McCabe said on Sunday that President Trump's “childish, defamatory” tweets show he “corrupted” the process leading up to Mr McCabe’s firing.

“We will not be responding to each childish, defamatory, disgusting & false tweet by the President,” Michael Bromwich tweeted.

“The whole truth will come out in due course. But the tweets confirm that he has corrupted the entire process that led to Mr McCabe’s termination and has rendered it illegitimate.”