President Donald Trump has denied getting told by to intelligence officials that Russia is intervening in the 2020 primaries and – following an explosive report about a Capitol briefing on Russia's intentions.

'Nobody said it to me at all,' Trump told reporters at the White House Sunday as he departed for a trip to India, asked if he has been briefed that Russia is trying to help Sanders.

Trump also blasted House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, who served as the lead House impeachment manager and whose committee got a briefing with a top intelligence official that led Trump to dress down outgoing Director of Intelligence Joseph Maguire.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., before his departure to India, February 23, 2020. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

'They leaked it – Adam Schiff and his group, they leaked it to the papers as usual. They ought to investigate Adam Schiff for leaking that information. He should not be leaking information out of intelligence. They ought to investigate Adam Schiff,' Trump said.

Trump's comments about the Democratic nomination fight comes as party leaders see a path victory for the independent from Vermont and self-described democratic socialist, with some warning it could crush Democrats running down on the ticket.

It is a party rift that Trump is eager to exploit. Asked if Sanders would be the nominee, Trump responded: 'I think so – unless they cheat him out of it.'

Trump's remarks about intelligence briefings were echoed by Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, Marc Short, who told 'Fox News Sunday': 'The intelligence community has not told us that Russia is trying to elect Donald trump.'

Trump congratulated Sen. Bernie Sanders on his win in Nevada

Trump is departing on a trip to India along with First Lady Melania Trump

'I hope they treat him fairly,' Trump said of Democratic leaders and the Sanders campaign

Trump accused Rep. Adam Schiff of leaking information about a classified briefing on Russian intentions for 2020

President Donald J. Trump (2-L) and First Lady Melania Trump (L) walk to Marine One as they depart the White House for a trip to India, in Washington, DC, USA, 23 February 2020. Trump plans to spend a single night in India

But Short also confirmed that Trump blasted Maguire over the briefing with the Intelligence Committee, where an aide to Maguire told lawmakers during questioning that Russia intended to interfere in primaries, according to the New York Times.

Said Short: 'The president did question because he said, 'Why did they get a briefing before I did?'' said Short.

Trump also congratulated Sanders on his big win in the Nevada caucuses.

'I hope they treat him fairly,' Trumps said. 'I hope it’s not going to be a rigged deal because there’s a lot of bad things going on,' he said, without explanation.

Asked if he was concerned about Russian interference in the elections, Trump instead spoke about efforts he thinks the Democrats are undertaking to deprive Sanders the party's nomination.

'I think what it could be, the Democrats are treating Bernie Sanders very unfairly. And it sounds to me like a leak from Adam Schiff because they don’t want Bernie Sanders to represent them,' Trump said. 'It sounds like it’s '16 all over again for Bernie Sanders. And he won he had a great victory yesterday. But you know what’s happening, you can see the handwriting on the wall,' he added.

Trump also made comments suggesting Maguire was not dismissed over his own fury about the Russia briefing. 'He’s a very nice man. His time came up so he had to leave on March 11,' he said, pointing to Maguire's acting status as director of national intelligence.

He said he had four or five candidates to replaced him. U.S. ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell is stepping in on what Trump confirmed would be an acting basis.

Schiff hit back at Trump in a tweet Thursday night. 'We count on the intelligence community to inform Congress of any threat of foreign interference in our elections. If reports are true and the President is interfering with that, he is again jeopardizing our efforts to stop foreign meddling. Exactly as we warned he would do,' he wrote.

Trump tweeted about the reports of meddling on Saturday as Democrats were caucusing in Nevada. 'Democrats in the Great State of Nevada (Which, because of the Economy, Jobs, the Military & Vets, I will win in November), be careful of Russia, Russia, Russia. According to Corrupt politician Adam “Shifty” Schiff, they are pushing for Crazy Bernie Sanders to win. Vote!'

Schiff responded with his own tweet: 'Mr. President, I didn’t say that. But if you wish to quote me, quote this: ”The only thing Americans despise more than foreign actors trying to affect the vote is a president unwilling to do anything to stop it.” Americans decide American elections.'

Trump kept at Schiff from the air aboard Air Force One en route to India.

'Are any Democrat operatives, the DNC, or Crooked Hillary Clinton, blaming Russia, Russia, Russia for the Bernie Sanders win in Nevada. If so I suggest calling Bob Mueller & the 13 Angry Democrats to do a new Mueller Report, Democrat Edition. Bob will get to the bottom of it!' he wrote.

Trump kept at Rep. Adam Schiff from the air aboard Air Force One en route to India.

Trump wrote in another tweet: 'Somebody please tell incompetent (thanks for my high poll numbers) & corrupt politician Adam “Shifty” Schiff to stop leaking Classified information or, even worse, made up information, to the Fake News Media. Someday he will be caught, & that will be a very unpleasant experience!'

Asked Sunday about his latest thoughts on a potential pardon for longtime advisor Roger Stone, Trump said the jury was tainted – pointing to a juror who had tweeted about the case and ran as a Democrat for Congress in 2012.

'I’ve seen a very sad thing going on with respect to Roger Stone,' Trump said. 'You have a juror that’s obviously tainted.'

Trump also addressed a peace deal with the Taliban, which is contingent on a reduction in violence over a period of days.

'Look the Taliban’s been fighting for decades,' Trump said.

'We’ve been over there 19 years we''re like a law enforcement force. We think they want to make a deal, we want to make a deal. I think it’s going to work out. We’ll see. We’re right now in a period that’s been holding up,' Trump said, referencing the period of non-violence.

'It’s a day and a half. We’ll see what happens.'

He continued: 'I think the Taliban wants to make a deal too. They’re tired of fighting.' Asked if he would put his name to a deal, Trump responded: 'Assuming it works out over the next less than a week I would put my name on it.'

'Time to come home. And they want to stop. You know, they’ve been fighting a long time. They’re tough, people we're tough people, but after 19 years that’s a long time,' he said.

Sanders has said he was briefed about Russia's intentions, and denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin.

'The intelligence community is telling us they are interfering in this campaign right now in 2020,' he told reporters in California Friday. He said his message to Putin was: ‘If elected president, trust me, you are not going to be interfering in American elections.’

The Washington Post reported that Sanders had been briefed on Russia was trying to help his campaign, and that lawmakers and Trump had been informed.

Democrats accused White House national security advisor Robert O'Brien of using intelligence information as a political weapon with his comment about the matter to ABC's 'This Week' Sunday.

'There are these reports that they want Bernie Sanders to get elected president. That’s no surprise. He honeymooned in Moscow,' he said. Host George Stephanopoluos reminded O'Brien that the reports were that Russia was seeking to interfere in the Democratic primary – not to get Sanders elected.

'I haven't seen any intelligence that Russia is doing anything to attempt to get President Trump reelected,' O'Brien said.

Pressed by Stephanopoulos about intelligence that Russia favors Trump in the 2020 elections, O'brien responded: 'What I'm saying is I haven't seen that analysis, George. No one's briefed me on it.'