Trump refutes media reports says never worked for Russia, terms it as big fat hoax

US President Donald Trump said Monday he has "never worked for Russia," assailing reports that raised questions about his ties to Vladimir Putin as a "big fat hoax."

Trump's comments to reporters at the White House followed a Washington Post report over the weekend that said the president has kept his top aides in the dark about his private conversations with the Russian leader. A separate report in The New York Times revealed that the FBI opened an investigation into whether Trump was acting on Russia's behalf after he sacked the bureau's director in 2017.

(With inputs from agencies.)