US special counsel probing Trump for possible obstruction: report

The special counsel overseeing the probe into Russia's alleged meddling in the US election is now looking at whether President Donald Trump attempted to obstruct justice, the Washington Post reported Wednesday, citing unnamed officials.

In a pivotal shift in the investigation that has riveted Americans like no other for decades, senior intelligence officials have agreed to be interviewed by investigators working for the special counsel, Robert Mueller, the Post said.

It quoted five people briefed on the requests and said those who have agreed to be interviewed are Daniel Coats, the director of national intelligence, Admiral Mike Rogers, the head of the National Security Agency, and his recently departed deputy, Richard Ledgett.

The interviews could come as early as this week, the Post said.

The shift toward investigating the president himself began days after Trump fired James Comey as FBI director on May 9, the Post said.

Quoting officials, the Post said one event of interest to Mueller is an exchange on March 22, when Coats told associates that Trump had asked him to intervene with Comey to get him to back off the focus on Trump's former national security adviser Mike Flynn as part of the FBI probe of the Russia affair.

Trump denies any collusion between himself or any of his associates and Russia.

But in his testimony to the US Senate select committee on intelligence on Thursday, Comey accused Donald Trump of lying on several occasions, adding that he didn't feel safe being in the same room as him alone.

"From the first time I was alone with the president elect, I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting. I've never felt that way before."

When asked why he hadn't asked the president to drop the matter, Comey said he was "stunned".

"I was playing in my mind what should my response me. Lordy I hope there are tapes."