Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe Andrew George McCabeGraham: Comey to testify about FBI's Russia probe, Mueller declined invitation Barr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' GOP votes to authorize subpoenas, depositions in Obama-era probe MORE is suggesting that a “crime may have been committed” by President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE due to his attempts to stop a Russia probe.

In a "60 Minutes" interview that aired Sunday, McCabe said the potential crime stemmed from Trump’s decision to fire former FBI Director James Comey James Brien ComeyDemocrats fear Russia interference could spoil bid to retake Senate Book: FBI sex crimes investigator helped trigger October 2016 public probe of Clinton emails Trump jabs at FBI director over testimony on Russia, antifa MORE in 2017 and public attempts to try and undermine an investigation into his campaign’s ties to Russia.

ADVERTISEMENT

“And the idea is, if the president committed obstruction of justice, fired the director of the FBI to negatively impact or to shut down our investigation of Russia’s malign activity and possibly in support of his campaign, as a counterintelligence investigator you have to ask yourself, “Why would a president of the United States do that?” McCabe said in the interview.

The former FBI official, who was fired by the Trump administration on the eve of his retirement, also said the FBI had a legitimate reason to open a counterintelligence investigation into Trump’s ties to Russia. He added that current Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Rod RosensteinDOJ kept investigators from completing probe of Trump ties to Russia: report Five takeaways from final Senate Intel Russia report FBI officials hid copies of Russia probe documents fearing Trump interference: book MORE was on board with the investigations, telling interviewers: “Absolutely.”

“So, all those same sorts of facts cause us to wonder is there an inappropriate relationship, a connection between this president and our most fearsome enemy, the government of Russia?” McCabe said.

McCabe pointed to a series of comments from Trump, including tweets, that suggested Russia was at the heart of his decision to fire Comey. He said those comments, as well as Trump’s request that the FBI end an investigation into Michael Flynn, his first national adviser, worried the agency that the president was trying to obstruct the Russia probe.

“Put together, these circumstances were articulable facts that indicated that a crime may have been committed,” McCabe told "60 Minutes." “The president may have been engaged in obstruction of justice in the firing of Jim Comey.”

McCabe’s interview comes as the former FBI official released his book last week, a controversial tale of his time at the agency and overseeing investigations into Trump.

Trump has pushed back at many of McCabe’s claims made in the book and subsequent interviews.

Trump tweeted about McCabe early Monday: "Wow so many lies by now disgraced acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe. He was fired for lying, and now his story gets even more deranged.”