Donald Trump, the US President, believes he has the “complete power” to pardon anyone, amid reports he is considering presidential pardons for family members and aides.

He tweeted: “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.”

Authorities in the United States are investigating possible contact between the country’s president’s team and Russia.

The probing followed intelligence agencies thinking that Russia tried to help Trump to power.

Russia has repeatedly denied this, and Trump believes nothing of such ever happened.

And Trump’s latest comment that he has the power to pardon anyone has been reportedly described as “extremely disturbing” by a Democratic Party spokesman.

The Washington Post reported on Thursday that Trump and his team were looking at ways to pardon people close to him.

According to a BBC report, presidents can pardon people before guilt is established or even before the person is charged with a crime.

Describing the reports as disturbing, Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, said “pardoning any individuals who may have been involved would be crossing a fundamental line”.