U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 18, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said in a television interview on Wednesday he accepted Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats’ assessment that Russia continues to be a threat to U.S. elections.

“He’s an expert, this is what he does, he’s been doing a very good job. I have tremendous faith in Dan Coats, and if he says that I would accept that. I will tell you though: it better not be, it better not be,” Trump told CBS News.

The White House struggled on Wednesday to contain the furor over Trump’s heavily criticized summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, denying Trump ever meant to say that Moscow was no longer targeting the United States in an exchange with reporters earlier in the day.