Sen. Angus King Angus KingHopes for DC, Puerto Rico statehood rise Government watchdog recommends creation of White House cyber director position Democrats step up hardball tactics as Supreme Court fight heats up MORE (I-Maine) said Thursday that fact that senior intelligence and law enforcement officials refused to answer lawmakers' questions about President Trump at a Wednesday hearing showed there was "something there."

At the hearing, both National Security Agency (NSA) head Adm. Mike Rogers and National Intelligence Director Dan Coats Daniel (Dan) Ray CoatsFBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Trump, Biden renew push for Latino support Former Intel chief had 'deep suspicions' that Putin 'had something on Trump': book MORE denied feeling pressure by President Trump to intervene in the handling of intelligence in any inappropriate way.

But they refused to answer specific questions about their interactions with the president.

"This elaborate 'we won't answer' — they were in fact implying that there was something to discuss," King said on MSNBC.

"If the answer was, no, there was no discussion, that would have been really easy. No, no discussion ... All this dancing around suggesting there was something there."

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None of the Trump administration officials were able to satisfy Democrats or King, who caucuses with Democrats, on the legal justification for their silence.

During the hearing, King snapped at the head of the NSA after Rogers repeatedly refused to answer questions about whether Trump tried to interfere in the FBI's investigation into Russia's actions and possible collusion with his campaign.

Rogers declined to answer questions about reports of his interactions with Trump throughout the morning, telling a visibly frustrated King that he didn’t feel it was appropriate.

“What you feel isn’t relevant, admiral,” King said back at the NSA chief.

It wasn’t the only showdown during King’s five-minute round of questioning, as he repeatedly pressed Rogers, Coats, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe on the legal justification for their silence.

“Why are you not answering these questions? Is there an invocation of executive privilege?” King said. “I’m not satisfied with, ‘I do not believe it’s appropriate’ or ‘I do not believe I should answer.’ ”

“I’m not sure I have a legal basis,” Coats said at one point, adding that he would provide as much information as he was able behind closed doors.