Will Trump Testify? Comey's Senate Hearing May Have Started A Chain Reaction

"It's my judgment that I was sacked because of the Russian Federation investigation", Comey said toward the end of more than two hours of testimony before the Senate intelligence committee.

Given Trump's history, there is little reason to believe him, especially since he refused to confirm to the media what he had previously hinted - that he had taped Comey's conversations. And frankly, James Comey confirmed a lot of what I said.

A group of House conservatives discussed taxes and the budget, with no reference to Comey or the federal investigations into Russia's election meddling and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.

Former FBI director James Comey testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill June 8, 2017 in Washington, DC.

"I didn't say that", Trump said of Comey's assertion.

Outraged Democrats argued that Comey had laid out all the elements of an obstruction of justice case, even as Democratic leaders tried to tamp down calls for impeachment coming from some liberals, including some members of Congress. Chances that Republicans themselves would initiate or even consider impeachment proceedings were zero, and that will change only if the Justice Department special counsel on the case, Robert Mueller, delivers a verdict they can not ignore whenever his investigation concludes.

"The time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding - they have to end that funding - and its extremist ideology in terms of funding", Trump said at a joint press conference with visiting Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in the Rose Garden. "No, I didn't say that".

He said that he had carefully documented his interactions with Mr Trump because he anxious the president would misrepresent them, and accused the administration of spreading "lies, plain and simple" about the reasons for his firing.

The president tweeted, "Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication.and WOW, Comey is a leaker!"

"Look, I've seen the tweet about tapes", Comey said.

"They forget that the taping system was there, so they have these conversations totally forgetting that they were recording themselves having them", she said.

He continued to insist that the allegation was a political ploy by his opponents, even as Comey said the Russians definitely intervened in the 2016 election on behalf of Trump.

"There's some jobs where the controversy would not be a benefit, but that's why I see him ending up in a place where he can be himself", said Evan Barr, a former federal prosecutor in New York City who worked under Comey in the US attorney's office.

Comey's testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday was based on notes he made after nine conversations with Trump.

"Our job is to gather information, and we'll let the American people determine what's true", Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) deflected when asked if he believed Trump or Comey after the hearing.

The ex-director's statement deepened questions about the basis for his May 9 dismissal and about whether Trump's actions constituted obstruction of justice.

In this February 11, 2014, file photo, then-Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington.

But having not mentioned it himself, Trump sowed some doubts among allies and the ensuing controversy prompted Vice President Mike Pence to later express explicit United States support for the charter.

"It crossed a boundary that the president should not have crossed".

"I'm more concerned about the removal of what appears to be official documents and declaring that they're personal than the oral reporting through an intermediary when he's no longer in that capacity", Whitaker said.

Senator Susan Collins, a Republican member of the panel, said earlier this week: "I want to know more also about the president's interactions with Mr. Comey with regard to the investigation into Michael Flynn".

"I don't think it's for me to say whether the conversation I had with the president was an effort to obstruct".

"Lordy", he said, "I hope there are tapes".

Under oath Thursday, Comey repeatedly called Trump a liar - Trump responded Friday by saying Comey was a liar. If Comey felt that was inappropriate, he should have said something right then and there.