David Jackson

USA TODAY

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.

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Trump's clashes with intelligence

Trump has clashed with intelligence agencies repeatedly since his November election, mostly over the Russia story. The administration is considering conducting its own review of how the intelligence community is organized and conducts its operations.

During his Thursday series of tweets, Trump continued to blame Democrats for spreading stories about Russia and the election: "The Democrats had to come up with a story as to why they lost the election, and so badly (306), so they made up a story - RUSSIA. Fake news!" (Trump, who is also at war with the media, said in another tweet: "FAKE NEWS media, which makes up stories and 'sources,' is far more effective than the discredited Democrats - but they are fading fast!")

The intelligence community said there is compelling evidence that the Russians organized the hacking of Democratic officials during last year's election in a bid to help Trump, findings endorsed by many Republican lawmakers.

The government's ability to monitor the telephone calls of world leaders has long been a closely held secret. In 2013, leaks by National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed the NSA had monitored the cellphone calls of world leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Snowden, who had been based in Hawaii, fled the country and now lives in Russia.

Many administrations have been troubled by leaks from the intelligence and military communities. In 1969, President Richard Nixon was frustrated by leaks, including one that revealed the secret bombing of Cambodia, and he authorized wiretaps on 17 government officials and journalists to try unsuccessfully to find the sources.

President Obama's administration tracked suspected leakers; Marine general James Cartwright pleaded guilt to lying to the FBI about telling a reporter about the U.S. government's involvement in planting a computer virus that disrupted Iran's nuclear program. Obama pardoned Cartwright last month.

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Once praised leakers

Trump himself praised leakers during last year's presidential campaign — specifically the WikiLeaks revelations of embarrassing emails from Democrats close to presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Intelligence officials said those leaks came courtesy of Russian hacking of Democratic Party officials during the election, the subject of ongoing investigations that include associates of Trump.

"Boy, I love reading those WikiLeaks," Trump said during a November campaign appearance in Wilmington, Ohio.

Former Trump adviser Roger Stone, one of those believed to be under investigation, rejected allegations he had contacts with Russian operatives during the presidential campaign, and welcomed any investigation.

"They’d be pretty bored if they wanted to look at my e-mails or transmissions because they won’t find anything of this nature," Stone told NBC's Today show. "I would like any fair, unbiased investigation so that we can clear the air on this once and for all.”

As for the current dispute over leaks, Stone echoed Trump officials in blaming holdovers from the Obama administration who are seeking to damage the current president. Said Stone to NBC: "The leaking that is coming out of the White House is a manifestation of the fact that there are people who have been hired who, very sadly, are not loyal to the president.”

On social media, Trump also attacked The New York Times' reporting on his administration.

"Leaking, and even illegal classified leaking, has been a big problem in Washington for years," Trump tweeted. "Failing @nytimes (and others) must apologize!"

Instead of failing, the Times has added subscribers since Trump's election.

Congressional Democrats said lawmakers should be investigating Flynn and the Trump administration's links to Russia overall, and many have saluted leakers for revealing facts about government actions..