President Donald Trump asserted he has "complete power to pardon" as he attacked the multiplying investigations into potential links between his campaign and Russia during last year's election

Mr Trump's intervention followed reports that he and his legal team had explored his authority to pardon assistants, family members, and possibly even himself.

The president said there was currently no need to use the power, because nothing wrong had been done. But his comment set up up the potential future prospect of a constitutional crisis as the idea of a president self-pardon has never been tested.