U.S. President Donald Trump punched back Friday against James Comey, accusing the ousted Federal Bureau of Investigation director of lying about their private conversations - and saying he is "100 percent" willing to testify under oath.
Trump also denied Comey's assertion, based on notes the former director made after a one-on-one dinner in January, that the president had asked him to declare his "loyalty".
During a joint press conference with the Romanian president Friday, Trump, again, denied telling James Comey a few things - like asking Comey to let go of the investigation into fired national security adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.
He said he would be happy to speak to special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating allegations that Russian Federation interfered with the election and colluded with Trump's campaign.
Four members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, including Chairman Chuck Grassley and ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein, had set a Friday deadline for Richman to respond after Comey testified that he gave the memo to him and asked him to anonymously disclose it to the media in an attempt to prompt the naming of a special counsel.
In his first congressional appearance since being abruptly fired by Mr Trump last month, Mr Comey detailed months of distrust of the president and bluntly asserted that the president had fired him to interfere with the probe of Russia's ties to the Trump campaign.
"No collusion, no obstruction". This ended speculation that began immediately after Comey admitted under oath he had leaked the memo containing his account of conversations between himself and President Donald Trump.
"Who would do that?"
"I don't think it's for me to say whether the conversation I had with the president was an effort to obstruct".
Trump accuses ex-FBI director Comey of cowardice over 'leaks'
"I believe the James Comey leaks will be far more prevalent than anyone ever thought possible", Trump wrote on Twitter on Sunday. Trump "feels completely and totally vindicated", and that "he is eager to continue to move forward with his agenda".
"I'll tell you about that in the very near future", he told reporters.
"I would be glad to tell him exactly what I told you", Trump said. "And some of the things that he said just weren't true", he added. The former director also maintained that he was sacked "in some way to change ... the way the Russian Federation investigation was being conducted".
"Lordy, I hope there are tapes", Comey told the panel Thursday, emphasizing his belief that the president asked him to shut down the investigation.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Oh, you're going to be very disappointed when you hear the answer.
Trump and his outside attorney, Marc Kasowitz, have zeroed in on this and lambasted Comey for ordering the "leaks".
Comey testified he arranged after his firing to surreptitiously share with the New York Times details drawn from one unclassified memo he wrote summarizing Trump's description to him of a "cloud" over his presidency and his hope that the FBI would let the Flynn investigation "go".
"Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication", Mr Trump wrote on Twitter, suggesting that Mr Comey, who was under oath at the hearing, had committed perjury.
"I'm very concerned about the implication that Comey keeping his job was dependent on his loyalty or, in Comey's words, developing a 'patronage relationship.' That is another way the President sought to impede the investigation", Democratic Senator Ron Wyden said in a comment emailed to Reuters.
Rather than relieve the pressure, Trump's decision to fire Comey has generated an even bigger political and legal threat. Chris Murphy urged investigators in the Senate to call upon Trump.
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