Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, is postponing his testimony to the US Congress because of threats against his family from Trump, his adviser has announced.

Mr Cohen has receieved "ongoing threats against his family from Trump" and the the president's current attorney, Rudy Giuliani, after pleading guilty to crimes he committed while working on the 2016 election campaign, attorney Lanny Davis said in a statement.

He was initially scheduled to provide his testimony before the House Oversight Committee at the invitation of Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings, the chairman of the committee, on 7 February.

"Due to ongoing threats against his family from President Trump and Mr Giuliani, as recently as this weekend, as well as Mr Cohen's continued cooperation with ongoing investigations, by advice of counsel, Mr. Cohen's appearance will be postponed to a later date," Mr Davis said. "Mr. Cohen wishes to thank Chairman Cummings for allowing him to appear before the House Oversight Committee and looks forward to testifying at the appropriate time."

"This is a time where Mr Cohen had to put his family and their safety first," Mr Davis added.

Mr Trump branded his former fixer a "rat" in a tweet last month, as well as suggesting he had damaging information on Cohen's father-in-law. "That's the one that people want to look at," Trump said in an interview with Fox News.

During an event at the White House, the president was asked by a reporter about Cohen saying he had been threatened by Trump and Giuliani.

"I would say he's been threatened by the truth. He's only been threatened by the truth. And he doesn't want to do that probably for me or other of his clients," Mr Trump said. "He has other clients also, I assume, and he doesn't want to tell the truth for me or other of his clients."

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Meanwhile Mr Giuliani told Reuters that the "president's response covers it."

Cohen is expected to report to prison on March 6 for his three-year sentence.