WASHINGTON — President Trump stepped up his war Thursday on the officials leaking information about his presidency, claiming that political opponents are behind it and they will be caught and punished.
"I've actually called the Justice Department to look into the leaks; those are criminal leaks," Trump told reporters, suggesting that former Obama administration officials are putting out classified information in order to play up the Russia story.
"I think you'll see it stopping because now we have our people in," Trump said during a White House news conference at which he again outlined complaints about the intelligence community and the media.
While Trump and aides discussed he possibility of hiring a new official to review intelligence gathering operations, he told reporters he will likely to do that task with existing staff: "They're in position so I hope that we'll be able to straighten that out without using anybody else," Trump said.
Democrats (and some Republicans) say the news leaks have been accurate and underscore potential ties between Trump associated and Russia, which is accused of interfering in last year's election.
In assailing reporters, Trump said they are misusing intelligence information, leading to "fake news put out by the media."
Trump held his news conference hours after tweeting that "the spotlight has finally been put on the low-life leakers! They will be caught!"
The president apparently reacted to the announcement by Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, that it will investigate the sources behind the story that led to this week's resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
Nunes said he would ask the FBI to do a probe "because we cannot continue to have these leaks as a government."
Democrats and other critics of the Trump administration said investigations should focus on any connections involving the president, Flynn, and Russians who sought to interfere in last year's presidential election, not news leaks that turned out to be true.
"The Trumpian view when someone informs your spouse that you've been cheating on them: 'Honey, the real issue is the leak!'" tweeted Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
Aides said Trump asked for Flynn's resignation after determining he misled Vice President Pence and others about the substance of a conversation he had with the Russian ambassador to the United States late last year, before Trump took office.
Unnamed government officials, citing phone intercepts, had said that Flynn — contrary to his earlier assertions — did indeed discuss sanctions on Russia that the Obama administration imposed on Russia for its actions during the 2016 election.
A Washington Post story last week, citing nine unnamed sources, led to Flynn's ouster.
