Comey testified that even though Trump's words were not "an order", he nevertheless "took it as a direction".
The committee is pursuing whether President Trump directed Comey to shut down an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. So did cable news networks, bracketing Comey's first public appearance since being fired by Trump with hours of their own talk. The Washington Post reported that the president also approached Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency chief Mike Rogers about the Flynn probe. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has had to recuse himself from the investigation.
Comey also reached into English history to boost his portrayal of Trump.
"It doesn't make a lot of sense to me", Comey answered, "but I'm obviously hopelessly biased, given that I was the one fired".
"I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting, so I thought it really important to document", Comey said. "I was so stunned by the conversation I just took it in". "I know I was sacked because of something about the way I was conducting the Russian Federation investigation was in some way putting pressure on him, in some way irritating him, and he made a decision to fire me because of that".
"I don't know. That's Bob Mueller's job to sort that out", Comey responded, referring to the newly appointed special counsel who has taken over the Justice Department's Russian Federation investigation.
JAMES COMEY: I think it's described in a written release from DOJ which I don't remember sitting here, but the gist is he will be recused from all matters relating to Russian Federation or the campaign. I took it as a very disturbing thing.
"Contrary to numerous false press accounts leading up to today's hearing, Mr. Comey has now finally confirmed publicly what he repeatedly told President Trump privately". Such an offense potentially could lead to Trump being impeached by Congress, although his fellow Republicans who control the Senate and House of Representatives have shown little appetite for such a move.
Comey's accusations could further mire Trump's administration in legal difficulties. Mueller and several congressional committees are investigating what US intelligence agencies have concluded was effort by Russian Federation to help Trump win the election by discrediting Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton through the hacking and disclosure of damaging emails and other steps.
He recalled at one point that he had to give up a dinner date with his wife because Trump asked to meet him at the White House.
His testimony drew a largely muted reaction from Midlands Republicans on Capitol Hill, nearly all of whom avoided commenting on the substance of Comey's allegations.
UK Conservative party set to lose parliamentary majority
Meanwhile, the most effective part of the Tory surge came in Scotland, where they won more seats from the SNP than Labour. As results trickled in from hand counts of ballots, all parties urged caution in reading too much into the exit poll.
In a speech to supporters across town, Trump vowed to fight on.
The high profile hearing is scheduled to find out the circumstances under which Comey was sacked and if Trump had interfered with FBI investigations.
"The one thing we do share is one attractive destiny", he told the rapt crowd.
In his testimony, Comey accused the president of telling "lies, plain and simple" when he claimed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was in disarray and poorly led, and that the workforce had lost confidence in its leader.
"I've seen the tweet about the tapes", Comey said. Dianne Feinstein asked the 6-foot-8 Comey on Thursday. Still, he appeared to criticize Comey's testimony as "one-sided".
"I mean, this is the president of the United States, with me alone, saying, "I hope" this", he said.
But Mr Comey implies a pattern of deliberate behaviour that's more than just tripping over boundaries.
While Mr Comey confirmed that the USA president was not personally under investigation as part of the inquiry in to Russian meddling in the 2016 election, he claimed that Mr Trump had sought to influence the investigation by asking him to "let go" the FBI inquiry into former national security adviser Michael Flynn at a meeting on February 14th. That was one of the meetings that Trump allegedly used to pressure Comey to drop the investigation into Flynn.
Both the conversation between Trump and Comey about Flynn and the firing itself were obstructive acts, she said.
Trump watched at least part of the hearing with his outside legal team, in a dining room at the White House, but Sanders said she did not know if he had seen much of it. Russia! Russia!' Tucker said.
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