Donald Trump’s lawyer’s offices were raided on Monday by the FBI seeking all records related to the Access Hollywood tape, in which he is heard saying of women that he likes to “grab ‘em by the -----“, it was reported last night.

The raid, on the office and hotel of Michael Cohen, sent shockwaves through Washington and New York and infuriated Mr Trump, who sees Mr Cohen – his long-serving lawyer and “fixer” - as akin to family.

The search warrant also sought evidence of whether Mr Cohen tried to suppress damaging information about Mr Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, the New York Times said. It is not clear what role, if any, Mr Cohen played regarding the tape, which was made public a month before the election.

But the fact that the agents were seeking documents related to the tape reveals a new front in the investigation into Mr Cohen that is being led by the United States attorney’s office in Manhattan.

The revelation came as James Comey, the former FBI director, compared the US president to a "mob boss" in an interview ahead of the release of his bombshell new book.