Trump Says US Democrats 'Made Up Russia Story' to Justify Election Loss

US President Donald Trump said in a statement on Thursday that the Democrats created a story about his campaign's ties to Russia to give a justification for their loss in the 2016 presidential election.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, Trump suggested that US media outlets should redirect their focus to the issue of "illegal classified leaking" they have been involved in. He noted that it has been a critical issue in Washington for decades.

"The Democrats had to come up with a story as to why they lost the election, and so badly (306), so they made up a story — RUSSIA. Fake news!" Trump wrote in the statement via Twitter.

The Democrats had to come up with a story as to why they lost the election, and so badly (306), so they made up a story — RUSSIA. Fake news!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 16 февраля 2017 г.

"FAKE NEWS media, which makes up stories and "sources," is far more effective than the discredited Democrats — but they are fading fast!" Trump added.

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that members of Trump’s presidential campaign team and several associates allegedly had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials and members of the government in the year before the election.

Following the reports, US House of Representatives Democratic Party members argued that the alleged communications should be investigated.

Earlier on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to evaluate the Democratic calls for a probe, saying that the initiative to investigate the alleged connections was "an absolutely internal affair" of the United States.