The Democratic National Committee said Tuesday that news reports that President Donald Trump asked DNI Director Daniel Coats to stop former FBI Director James Comey from investigating Michael Flynn proved that the president "knew what he was doing was wrong."

"Our law enforcement and intelligence agencies exist to protect the American people, not to be a protection racket for the president of the United States," the committee said in a statement on Twitter.

.@Adrienne_DNC on revelations Trump asked National Intelligence Director to intervene with Comey on FBI probe: pic.twitter.com/mP9Bjif4Ut — DNC Press (@dncpress) June 7, 2017

"It is clear now that Trump was not only intent on using his power to shut down an investigation that threatened his presidency, but that he knew what he was doing was wrong.

"Otherwise, there would be no reason to repeatedly ask everyone to leave the room before pressuring officials to get Michael Flynn off the hook."

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Coats told associates in March that President Trump asked him to get Comey to stop his investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

The request came on March 22, days after Coats was confirmed by the Senate.

"It's time to stop making excuses for this president," the DNC said.

In addition, Missouri Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill noted Tuesday that the president has been "eerily quiet" about any possible Moscow involvement in the election.

"He's been eerily quiet about criticizing Russia," the second-term senator told Greta Van Susteren on MSNBC. "It's hard for me to understand.

"At every opportunity he's had to condemn the Russian involvement in the election, he has pivoted and not gone there."

McCaskill argued that the probes did not diminish Trump's electoral victory, though the administration's response raised concerns about possible collusion.

"Is there money here?" she asked. "Did he make some agreement? Is there a back-channel communication we don't know about?

"Maybe, he just feels so defensive that this is somehow diminishing his victory, which, this isn't what this is," McCaskill told Van Susteren. "This is about a foreign government and cyber warfare on our democracy."