President Donald Trump has moved to mend his tumultuous relationship with America's spy agencies, travelling to CIA headquarters on his first full day in office and assuring officials, "I am so behind you."
Trump's decision to visit CIA headquarters just outside of Washington was aimed at making a public gesture to the intelligence officials he disparaged during the transition.
He had repeatedly challenged the agencies' assessment that Russia meddled in the presidential race to help him win and suggested intelligence officials were behind the leak of an unverified dossier that claimed Russia had collected compromising financial or personal information about him.
During remarks to about 400 CIA officials, Trump denied that he had a feud with the intelligence community, saying it was "exactly the opposite."
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He again blamed the media for creating that impression, despite the fact that he made numerous public statements critical of intelligence officials.
"There is nobody that feels stronger about the intelligence community and CIA than Donald Trump," he said. "There's nobody."
The 45th president's inauguration has been shadowed by news reports that the CIA and other federal agencies are investigating Russian interference in the presidential election on behalf of Trump. The New York Times, citing anonymous officials, said agencies were examining intercepted communications and financial transactions between Russian officials and Trump's associates.
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FBI Director James Comey has declined to confirm or describe the nature of the government's investigation, both during a congressional hearing and in closed-door meetings with members of Congress.
Former CIA deputy director Michael Morell said Trump's visit to the CIA was "an important and positive gesture."
"The real test of the relationship between the president and his most important intelligence agency, though, will depend on how open he is to what CIA has to say about what is happening in the world," Morell said before Trump's speech.
Trump said fighting Islamic State militants would be a priority for the agency, saying "radical Islamic terrorism" had to be eradicated.
WATCH: President Trump's first White House actions
