Trump says Russia probe will be fair, but timeline unclear

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – President Donald Trump said on Thursday he believes he will be fairly treated in a special counsel investigation into Russian meddling in the US presidential election, but said he did not know how long the probe would last.

The federal investigation has hung over Trump's White House since he took office almost a year ago, and some Trump allies have in recent weeks accused the team of Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Mueller of being biased against the Republican president.

But in an interview with the New York Times, Trump appeared to shrug off concerns about the investigation, which was prompted by US intelligence agencies' conclusion that Russia tried to help Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton by hacking and releasing embarrassing emails and disseminating propaganda.

"There's been no collusion. But I think he's going to be fair," Trump said in what the Times described as a 30-minute impromptu interview at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida.