Fires Back ... Comey Lied and Leaked!

But in the wake of Comey's testimony, CNN added to its own embarrassment. Comey said that never happened.

"That is a very big deal, and not just because it involves me". He is a good guy. "I hope you can let this go". "So that's what I am focused on; that's what I have been focused on", Trump said, veering to his Electoral College victory before coming back to Comey.

The reporter then asked, "So he lied about that?"

Trump: I didn't say that. Dianne Feinstein of California asked, "Why didn't you stop and say, 'Mr". After complaining about "the killer networks that treat me so badly as fake news", Trump called on Jonathan Karl of ABC.

President Donald Trump on Friday broke his silence on Twitter following explosive testimony by fired FBI Director James Comey, declaring "total and complete vindication".

"James Comey and Angus King say Trump reminds them of King Henry II, who famously remarked: "'Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?".

When Karl asked about the tapes, Trump repeated his line that he'll talk "more about that in the very near future", noting, "you will be very disappointed when you hear the answer". "Who would do that?" But Comey's revelation that the Federal Bureau of Investigation learned of a third meeting through its monitoring of Russian communications appears to confirm this reporting.

"He probably wasn't steeped in the long-running protocols that establish the relationships between (Department of Justice), FBI and White Houses".

Technically, Comey did more than "not directly dispute" Trump's claims. The veteran lawman expressed confidence that could be a matter ripe for investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller, though he declined to offer an opinion on whether it met such a threshold.

Trump abruptly fired Comey as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on May 9, admitting later that the Russian Federation probe was on his mind at the time.

Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe also shed light on the Russian Federation situation.

Mr Flynn was himself forced out after misleading the vice-president about conversations with Russia's ambassador before Mr Trump took office.

Yet in some ways Mr. Comey's words were just the opening scene in a lengthy legal drama to come.

The leaders of the Senate judiciary's probe sent Richman the request on Thursday and asked he provide it by Friday. The White House later redacted that reason entirely. "But we were very, very happy and, frankly, James Comey confirmed a lot of what I said. Even folks who have been his critics don't question his integrity, his commitment to the rule of law and his intelligence", Warner said.

Mr Trump had stayed unusually quiet on Thursday, refraining from weighing in on the testimony gripping the country both on Twitter and at several public appearances.

In Senate testimony, Comey said he wrote records of his conversations with Trump "immediately" after they took place - something he did not do with Trump's predecessor President Barack Obama - because he was concerned Trump might "lie".