TRUMP: I hardly know the man. "I'm not going to say 'I want you to pledge allegiance.' Who would do that? Who would do that?"
Donald Trump and his team already seemed prepared to moving towards a contest of credibility with former FBI Director James Comey, but at a White House press conference this afternoon, the president took the dispute to a whole new level.
When pressed if he would be willing to testify under oath about his version of the events, Trump answered, "100 percent".
It concerns a time when Mr Comey was leading an FBI investigation into Russia's interference in the presidential election and its ties to the Trump campaign.
Comey's testimony was the most eagerly anticipated USA congressional hearing in years.
Mr Trump's legal team says the president's conversations with the former Federal Bureau of Investigation director were subject to executive privilege.
Later it emerged the intelligence committee is asking White House lawyers whether there are any tape recordings or memos of Mr Comey's conversations with Mr Trump.
Earlier, a reporter asked about the president's tweet on Friday that said, "Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication...and WOW, Comey is a leaker!".
In the wake of Comey's testimony and Trump's rebuttal, the American public has been left with the hard decision.
In fact, Comey had set up his testimony brilliantly when he had the committee release a seven-page statement Wednesday in which he described five conversations he had with Trump concerning the FBI's investigation into Russian attempts to interfere with the 2016 election.
USA secretary of state calls for easing of Qatar blockade
Some 11,000 people from the three nations are believed to be in Qatar. A general view of the Qatar Charity building in the capital Doha .
Mr Trump then hinted he had recorded the private meetings in a tweet, saying: 'James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!'
"The matter will be addressed on Monday", the source says.
During his Congressional briefing organised by the powerful Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on Thursday, Comey confessed that he leaked the information about his interaction with the USA president.
Iohannis spoke of Trump's remarks last month about some members of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation not spending enough of defense, saying he liked the USA president's speech on the matter. I mean think of it, I hardly know the man.
And perhaps, as Comey admitted is possible, Trump and he misperceived things they said to each other.
"I took it as a very disturbing thing, very concerning, but that's a conclusion I'm sure the special counsel will work towards to try and understand what the intention was there, and whether that's an offense", Comey said.
The defendant in the case, Collin McDonald, had pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery - during which he carried a concealed knife, according to his girlfriend's testimony - and was sentenced by a lower court to 175 months in prison, to be served consecutively to previous sentences he had been given by different courts.
Comey testified at a Senate hearing that he made memos after speaking to Trump on several occasions because he feared the president would lie about them.
Pundits and legal experts were divided on whether Trump's actions rose to the level of obstruction of justice, a potentially impeachable offense.





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