WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Trump asked two top intelligence chiefs, including one former Senator from Indiana, in March to deny publicly that there had been collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign, the Washington Post reported Monday.
Citing current and former officials, the Washington Post said the national intelligence director, Daniel Coats, and the director of the National Security Agency, Adm. Michael S. Rogers, both refused Trump's request, judging it inappropriate.
Coats served as a U.S. Senator from Indiana from 1989-1999, then from 2011-2017, before he was nominated and confirmed as national intelligence director in March.
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At a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Coats said Tuesday Russia will be more "unpredictable" in relations with the United States.
He was then asked about the Washington Post report by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). He declined comment on the story, saying it would be "not appropriate" to comment publicly on the story. When asked about the report, a spokesperson for Coats also declined comment to the Washington Post.
Coats did say there is a "consensus that Russia has meddled in our election process."
Intel chief Dan Coats says he can’t comment on reports Trump asked the him to deny evidence of Russia collusion https://t.co/P0m0kAvn09
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) May 23, 2017
