US President Donald Trump has said he has “the complete power to pardon”, fuelling speculations that he is considering using his powers to shield himself.

There have been investigations into collusion with Russia to interfere in the US elections.

The President made the statement during an early-morning stream of posts on Twitter, saying: “While all agree the U. S. President has the complete power to pardon, why think of that when only crime so far is LEAKS against us. FAKE NEWS.”

While all agree the U. S. President has the complete power to pardon, why think of that when only crime so far is LEAKS against us.FAKE NEWS

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 22, 2017

White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders refused to rule out the possibility Trump would use his pardon power to shield himself, his family, and his administration from federal lawsuits.