Republicans watch their step in a slow retreat from Trump

Lawmakers have been grappling with revelations about Mr Trump's behaviour over Russia investigation

Republicans on Sunday inched away from President Trump amid mounting evidence that he may have sought to interfere in the federal investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

In a sign of growing anxiety, several important Republicans expressed discomfort with Mr. Trump’s firing of the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, who had been leading the agency’s inquiry into whether Mr. Trump’s associates colluded with Russian officials. But the Republicans stopped short of explicitly criticizing Mr. Trump.

“If any president tries to impede an investigation — any president, no matter who it is — by interfering with the F.B.I., yes,