Putin says US administration trying to undermine Trump

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is accusing the outgoing U.S. administration of trying to undermine President-elect Donald Trump by spreading fake allegations.

Putin, speaking at a news conference Tuesday, described a dossier on Trump as part of efforts by President Barack Obama's administration to "undermine the legitimacy of the president-elect" despite his "convincing" victory.

He said some now want to "stage a Maidan in Washington," in reference to the alleged U.S. role in organizing protests in the main square of the Ukrainian capital, which chased the nation's Russia-friendly president from power in 2014.

BOYCOTT: List of Congressional Democrats skipping Donald Trump's inauguration

Asked about a dossier alleging Trump's sexual activities at a Moscow hotel, Putin dismissed it as "fake" and charged that people who ordered it are "worse than prostitutes." Trump has rejected the allegations as "fake news" and "phony stuff."

Click here for stories on the inauguration of Donald Trump.