Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) said Thursday that President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE's attempts to keep Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsTrump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status White House officials voted by show of hands on 2018 family separations: report MORE from recusing himself in the federal Russia probe "screams" of "consciousness of guilt."

"As a former prosecutor, it is clear to me that the repeated attempts by @POTUS to influence the criminal investigation against him, such as this attempt to order AG Jeff Sessions to not recuse, screams CONSCIOUSNESS OF GUILT," Lieu tweeted.

As a former prosecutor, it is clear to me that the repeated attempts by @POTUS to influence the criminal investigation against him, such as this attempt to order AG Jeff Sessions to not recuse, screams CONSCIOUSNESS OF GUILT. https://t.co/xw5THATFMA — Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) January 4, 2018

Lieu was responding to a New York Times report Thursday that said Trump directed White House counsel Don McGahn to convince Sessions to remain in charge of the Justice Department's inquiry into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

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The president was reportedly furious and told White House officials that he needed Sessions, a former campaign adviser who recused himself from the investigation, to protect him, two sources told the newspaper. The president has repeatedly dismissed the probe as a "witch hunt."

Lieu is a vocal Trump opponent who has said he expects more indictments to come from special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE's investigation into Russian interference and that the White House "should be scared" of the prosecutor.