President Donald Trump blasted Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, on Twitter on Monday morning, saying he "Must be stopped!"

Trump accused Schiff and others of leaking classified information to the press in an attempt to discredit Rep. Devin Nunes' memo, which Republicans say shows an anti-Trump bias in the FBI.

The president's outburst comes as the committee is likely to discuss releasing a memo from Democrats designed to counter the GOP memo released last week.



President Donald Trump blasted Rep. Adam Schiff on Twitter on Monday morning, saying the top Democrat on a committee investigating him "Must be stopped!"

The House Intelligence Committee is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election and whether Trump's campaign colluded with the Kremlin. The committee has been plagued by partisan infighting in recent weeks, however, with Republicans last week making public a polarizing memo accusing top FBI and Justice Department officials of bias against Trump.

In the tweet, Trump also attacked James Comey, whom he fired as FBI director last year; Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, who has been highly critical of the president and the memo; John Brennan, the former CIA director who blasted Nunes on Sunday; and James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence.

"Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, right up there with Comey, Warner, Brennan and Clapper!" Trump tweeted. "Adam leaves closed committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information. Must be stopped!"

The tweet contains the hallmarks of a personal attack from Trump, including the diminutive title "Little" for Schiff suggesting he is driven by political ambition for higher office.

Schiff responded to Trump's tweet by mocking his "executive time," or the time he reportedly spends watching the news and tweeting in the mornings, and on calling him to take action to protect those in the US in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Trump's tweet follows reports in conservative media that Schiff leaked classified information to the press in an attempt to discredit Devin Nunes, the committee's top Republican, and his "FISA memo."

Over the weekend, Schiff led a charge of Democrats in calling the memo "reckless" and a "political hit job."

An article at Law and Crime suggested that in Schiff's attempt to discredit the memo released by Nunes he gave insight into a classified document, the application to surveil the former Trump campaign figure Carter Page.

Members of the FBI had made a rare statement urging Trump not to release the memo, saying it lacked important context and could reveal intelligence methods.

The Democrats on the House committee want to release their own memo countering the claims of Nunes' one, and Reuters reported that members could start discussing its release on Monday.