US President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared together at an unscheduled Rose Garden news conference on Monday, insisting their relationship is "outstanding" and they are "closer now than ever before".

Trump, who spent August attacking McConnell for failing to pass legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, pledged to work closely with the Majority Leader on health care and overhauling federal taxes.

McConnell, seconded the president's latest views.

The two took questions at length from a quickly assembled White House press corps that stood bunched together on the lawn since there wasn't even time to set up chairs.

Trump defended his former top adviser, Steve Bannon, who is now threatening all-out political war on McConnell and establishment Republicans, including incumbent senators.

But the president also suggested he might try to talk Bannon out of some of his threats against Senate Republicans whom McConnell pledged to defend.

It was not clear what led to the impromptu question-and-answer session, which followed lunch between the two men at the White House.

It comes at a critical time, with the Senate poised to take a crucial vote this week on a budget that would set the stage for tax legislation that many Republicans view as make-or-break following the failure on health care.

Asked about special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign, Trump said: "The whole Russia thing was an excuse for the Democrats losing the election."

He added: "There has been absolutely no collusion. It's been stated they have no collusion."

Washington, DC - 16 October 2017

1. US President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell walking out of White House

++CONTINUATION INTO SHOT 2; NO CUT++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

"Thank you very much. I just want to say that we just spent quite a bit of time inside with the Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell who has been a friend of mine for a long time, long before my world of politics, early into his world of politics I think. But we've been friends for a long time. We are probably now, despite what we read, we're probably now, I think at least as far as I'm concerned, closer than ever before and the relationship is very good. We're fighting for the same thing. We're fighting for lower taxes, big tax cuts, the biggest tax cuts in the history of our nation."

3. Cutaway of media

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

"My relationship with this gentleman is outstanding, has been outstanding. We are working very hard to get the tax cuts, we will continue to work hard to get the health care completed."

5. Cutaway of media

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader:

++SOUNDBITE STARTS ON WIDE SHOT++

"I want to underscore what the president said. We have the same agenda. We've been friends and acquaintances for a long time. We talk frequently, we don't give you a read-out every time we have a conversation but frequently we talk on the weekends about the issues that are before us. Obviously, passing the budget, which enables tax reform and tax reduction comes next, then the supplemental to take adequate care of those who've been harmed by the natural disasters we've been afflicted with lately."

7. Cutaway of media

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

"Well, I have a very good relationship as you know with Steve Bannon. Steve's been a friend of mine for a long time. I like Steve a lot. Steve is doing what Steve thinks is the right thing. Some of the people that he may be looking at, I'm going to see if we talk him out of that, because frankly they're great people. What Mitch will tell you is that maybe with the exception of a few, and that is a very small few, I have a fantastic relationship with the people in the Senate and with the people in Congress. I mean, I have, with our House of Representatives, I have a great relationship with political people. If you read the papers you think it's like I'm on one island and they're like on the other, well it's not the way it is."

9. Cutaway of reporters shouting questions

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

"The whole Russia thing was an excuse for the Democrats losing the election. And it turns out to be just one excuse. I mean, today Hillary blamed Nigel Farage (former leader of the UK Independence Party). That one came out of nowhere. So that was just an excuse for the Democrats losing an election that frankly they have a big advantage in the Electoral College. They should always be able to win in the Electoral College but they were unable to do it. So, there has been absolutely no collusion. It's been stated that they have no collusion. They ought to get to the end of it because I think the American public is sick of it. Go ahead."

11. Cutaway of reporter asking question about special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

"(Reporter question: Are you considering firing Robert Mueller?)

No, not at all."

13. Cutaway of reporter asking question about Hillary Clinton running in the 2020 presidential election

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

"Oh I hope Hillary runs. Is she going to run? I hope. Hillary please run again."

15. Cutaway of reporters

16. Trump and McConnell walking back up the steps toward the White House