Trump says he has written answers to Mueller's questions

US President Donald Trump said Friday he had personally written -- though not yet submitted -- answers to the questions put to the White House by Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, while once more assailing the probe as a "witch hunt."

Trump ended months of speculation on whether he would respond to questions from the special counsel, who is investigating whether the president's 2016 election campaign colluded with Russians and if Trump illegally obstructed the probe.

"I answered the questions very easily," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I haven't submitted them yet. I just finished them. As you know, I've been a bit busy."

Trump went on to dismiss the investigation, which he has repeatedly called illegal and threatened to shut down, attacking it this week as a national "disgrace."

The confirmation came nine days after Trump installed a new acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, who has been strongly critical of Mueller and suggested cutting the probe's purse-strings to make it difficult to continue.

Critics fear Whitaker will interfere with the investigation and provide the White House inside information on its activities to help protect the president, who if accused by Mueller of obstruction could face impeachment.

Trump's lawyers have said Mueller is seeking to trap Trump in a minor lie to be able to accuse him of perjury. In recent weeks speculation has grown that Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. and campaign consultant Roger Stone could face charges.

But the tight-lipped Mueller has not given any sign of whether Trump is regarded more as a witness or a target of the investigation.

Meanwhile, the outgoing chairman of the US House Judiciary Committee is planning to issue subpoenas compelling former FBI Director James Comey and former US Attorney General Loretta Lynch to be deposed about their decision-making ahead of the 2016 US presidential election, a House Democratic aide told Reuters on Friday.

The House of Representatives aide told Reuters that Goodlatte is planning to call Comey in for closed-door questioning on Nov 29 and Lynch on Dec 5.