David Jackson

USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — The top Democrat on the House intelligence committee said Sunday that President Trump's claims about illegal wiretapping and news leaks are an attempt to distract people from the overall investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russians who sought to influence last year's election.

"I would tell people, whenever they see the president use the word 'fake,' it ought to set off alarm bells," said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Cal., speaking on CNN's State of the Union.

While Schiff said "I don't think we can say anything definitively at this point" about the probes of Trump and Russia, the president denounced the entire set of investigations and continued to stress claims that President Barack Obama and his administration had him wiretapped last year.

"The real story turns out to be SURVEILLANCE and LEAKING! Find the leakers." Trump tweeted Sunday.

The FBI and the House and Senate intelligence committees are investigating claims of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russians who hacked Democratic Party officials close to nominee Hillary Clinton — a sprawling set of probes that now involve the recent actions of other officials.

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., the chairman of the House intelligence committee, is under fire for visiting the White House on his own to review information about the wiretapping claims and then briefing Trump himself about it.

Schiff told CNN he reviewed the same information at the White House on Friday, While not commenting on what he saw, Schiff said the information should be released publicly.

In the meanwhile, former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn — fired for not disclosing the contexts of talks he had with Russia's ambassador to the United States — is seeking immunity from prosecution in order to testify before Congress.

While Trump backed Flynn's request, Schiff told CNN that it's too early to say whether the FBI or congressional committees should grant immunity,

Numerous law enforcement officials have said that neither Obama nor his aides authorized a wiretap of Trump Tower during last year's election, as the current president alleged in a March 4 series of tweets.

In recent days, Trump has cited a Fox News report an intelligence official in the Obama administration "unmasked" the names of people associated with the Trump team in intelligence reports.

The president has also denounced the Russia investigation in general, tweeting Saturday: "It is the same Fake News Media that said there is 'no path to victory for Trump' that is now pushing the phony Russia story. A total scam!"

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speaking on ABC's This Week, said the rising number of claims and counter-claims is the big reason a special congressional committee is needed to investigate what he called a Russian attack on the foundations of American democracy.

"Every time we turn around, another shoe drops from this centipede, and we need to examine all of the aspects of it," McCain told ABC's This Week.