President Donald Trump is pressing ahead with plans to slash staff at the top US spy agency, determined to act at a time when he’s openly challenged its director and rejected intelligence findings that contradict his public statements.

Trump disputed the assessment that Russia had interfered in the election on his behalf, decrying as a “hoax” and a “witch hunt” an investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller, which ultimately concluded the Trump campaign had welcomed Moscow’s help but did not find sufficient evidence of a criminal conspiracy.