Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates on Tuesday said it would have been "inappropriate" for President Trump to ask any official in his administration for their loyalty to him over the Constitution.

CNN host Anderson Cooper asked the former deputy attorney general, who had been former FBI Director James Comey's boss, if it was was appropriate for Trump to have made that request of Comey as reports stated.

"No, not to him individually. Our loyalty at the Department of Justice should be to the people of the United States and to the law and the Constitution. No one and nothing else," Yates said in her first interview since testifying before a Senate subcommittee last week.

Yates said she "wouldn't have" pledged loyalty to former President Barack Obama if he had asked it of her.

Last Friday, Fox Business News host Judge Jeanine Pirro asked Trump about a report claiming he had asked Comey if he had his loyalty and whether doing so was inappropriate.

"I don't think — I read that article. I don't think it's inappropriate," Trump said.

"Did you ask that question?" Pirro asked.

"No. No, I didn't, but I don't think it would be a bad question to ask," Trump said. "I think loyalty to the country — loyalty to the U.S. is important. You know, it depends on how you define loyalty ... I don't know how it got out there because I didn't ask that question."

Comey was nominated and confirmed by the Senate in 2013. He was fired by Trump last Tuesday.