President Donald Trump dismissed ongoing stories about potential ties to Russia as a "Democrat EXCUSE for losing the election.” | Getty Trump: Russia laughing as U.S. 'tears itself apart'

President Donald Trump on Thursday said America is tearing itself apart over the Russia narrative that has engulfed his presidency, while the Kremlin is laughing.

“Russia must be laughing up their sleeves watching as the U.S. tears itself apart over a Democrat EXCUSE for losing the election,” the president tweeted Thursday afternoon.


The U.S. intelligence community concluded that Russia not only interfered in the presidential election but did so with the aim of elevating Trump into the Oval Office over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Trump for weeks refused to accept that conclusion and has since called Russia headlines “fake news” and a “hoax.”

The president reiterated his view Friday morning, tweeting: “Again, the story that there was collusion between the Russians & Trump campaign was fabricated by Dems as an excuse for losing the election.”

“When James Clapper himself, and virtually everyone else with knowledge of the witch hunt, says there is no collusion,” he added, “when does it end?”

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Trump on Tuesday fired FBI Director James Comey, whose agency is investigating potential collusion between Trump associates and Russian officials.

Trump met Wednesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak at the White House, at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin. No American press was allowed into the Oval Office for the meeting, but Russian state media published jovial images of the president and Russian envoys.

Trump later tweeted side-by-side images of Wednesday’s separate meetings with Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin. “LETS MAKE PEACE!” the graphic declared, with the president’s signature beneath it.

Yesterday, on the same day- I had meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the FM of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin.#LetsMakePeace! pic.twitter.com/SPiIrJqI6G — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 11, 2017