Carter Page, a former campaign adviser to President Donald Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE, said Thursday the president's support of him is “basically sticking up for civil rights.”

"I wish he didn't have to support me, he's basically sticking up for civil rights,” Page said on “CBS This Morning,” referring to Trump.

He called the president “kind” for his recent defense of Carter, adding that it "really reflects the support he gives to Americans in general.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Page and several other Trump campaign aides are under federal and congressional scrutiny as part of an ongoing investigation into whether Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election and whether members of Trump's campaign colluded with Moscow.

The White House has repeatedly attempted to put distance between the administration and Page, with senior Trump officials saying they have never met him

But Trump on Wednesday accused Democrats of trying to prevent Page from testifying about Russia. Page's testimony would blow “away their case against him," the president tweeted.

So now it is reported that the Democrats, who have excoriated Carter Page about Russia, don't want him to testify. He blows away their.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2017

...case against him & now wants to clear his name by showing "the false or misleading testimony by James Comey, John Brennan..." Witch Hunt! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2017

Page offered last week to testify before the House Intelligence Committee in early June.

He has repeatedly denied claims stemming from an intelligence dossier that he met with Russian agents while serving on the Trump campaign, calling such allegations “completely false and misleading.“ He told CNN last month there is “no probable cause” for the case against him. “I have been the victim of one of the most horrendous civil rights violations in recent U.S. election history,” Page said.

Trump also repeated his condemnation of the Russia probes Thursday morning, calling the investigation a “witch hunt.”