![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/coats-768x432.jpg\")
<\/a>Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats<\/p><\/div>\n
WASHINGTON \u2013 The nation\u2019s top intelligence official essentially shot down a bombshell report that President Trump tried to interfere in the FBI\u2019s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion by his associates with Moscow.<\/p>\n
Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats testified before the Senate Intelligence committee on Wednesday morning that, \u201cIn my time of service, which is interacting with the President of the United States or anybody in his administration, I have never been pressured, I\u2019ve never felt pressure to intervene or interfere in any way with shaping intelligence in a political way or in relationship to an ongoing investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coats initially declined to make any comment at all on the matter, stating, \u201cI do not feel it is appropriate for me in a public session to breach confidential conversations between the president and myself in a public session,\u201d and, \u201cI don\u2019t think this is the appropriate venue to do this in.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, under persistent grilling by the committee\u2019s top Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va, Coats then issued what appeared to be a blanket denial of a Washington Post report that Trump had tried to get him to interfere in the FBI\u2019s Russia probe.<\/p>\n
Coats even indicated he did not find the Post always credible.<\/p>\n
When Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called the report detailed and disturbing, if true, Coats replied, with a smile, that he had been in Washington long enough not to take everything the paper reports \u201cat face value.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the Post<\/a>\u00a0claimed that in a one-on-one meeting with Coats on March 22, Trump \u201casked him if he could intervene with then-FBI Director James B. Comey to get the bureau to back off its focus on former national security adviser Michael Flynn in its Russia probe.\u201d<\/p>\n Basing its story on anonymous \u201cofficials,\u201d the Post reported, \u201cThe events involving Coats show the president went further than just asking intelligence officials to deny publicly the existence of any evidence showing collusion during the 2016 election.\u201d<\/p>\n Get the hottest, most important news stories on the Internet \u2013 delivered FREE to your inbox as soon as they break! Take just 30 seconds and sign up for WND\u2019s Email News Alerts!<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n But Coats appeared to flatly contradict that with his blanket statement that he never felt pressured to interfere or intervene in any investigation by the president or anyone in his administration.<\/p>\n Warner got an even more forceful denial from National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers, who also initially declined to comment, saying, \u201cI\u2019m not going to discuss the specifics of any conversations with the president of the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n But Rogers seemed visibly irritated when Warner continued to press him on the subject, finally stating with a flash of apparent anger, \u201cIn the three plus years that I have been the director of the National Security Agency, to the best of my recollection, I have never been directed to do anything I believe to be illegal, immoral, unethical or inappropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n He added, \u201cAnd to the best of my recollection, during that same period of service, I do not recall feeling ever pressured to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n After repeatedly trying to get Coats to confirm the Post story, even after he had apparently flatly contradicted it, a frustrated Warner gave up, commenting, \u201cAt some point, these facts have to come out.\u201d<\/p>\n He was, no doubt, expressing hope he will get a different answer from former FBI Director James Comey, who is scheduled to testify before the committee on Thursday.<\/p>\n But Warner may be in for more frustration.<\/p>\n