Trump says he would testify under oath about what he told Comey

Show Caption Hide Caption Trump '100 percent' willing to speak under oath Donald Trump holds his first presser after Former FBI Director James Comey Senate Hearing.

WASHINGTON — A day after James Comey accused him of lying, President Trump returned the favor Friday and said he is "100%" willing to testify under oath to dispute the ex-FBI director's claims that Trump urged him to drop an investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

There was "no collusion, no obstruction" of justice, Trump said during a joint news conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, adding that Comey is "a leaker" to boot. The "collusion" reference is apparently to the White House's long-running contention that there is no evidence Trump's campaign colluded with Russian attempts to undermine the election.

Trump flatly denied Comey's testimony that the president asked him to let go of an investigation into Flynn — "I didn't say that" — and denied the former director's claim that Trump asked him for a pledge of personal loyalty.

Asked if he would repeat his claims about Comey under oath, Trump said: "100%."

Tapes could resolve the dispute, but Trump against refused to say whether they exist, telling reporters he would do so "maybe sometime in the very near future."

Shortly after he fired Comey in May, Trump tweeted "James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!"

Echoing his attorneys and aides, Trump said the ex-FBI chief vindicated his claim that Comey told him on three occasions he was not under investigation over possible collusion with Russians who attempted to interfere with last year's election. While disputing Comey's testimony, Trump castigated the entire hearing as "just an excuse" for Democrats to blame their election loss on a false narrative about Russia.

Trump ignored a question on how he could accuse Comey of lying on one hand, and being truthful on the other.

Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers and other critics say Comey's clams that Trump leaned on him to somehow drop the Russia investigation could amount to an obstruction of justice.

"I think he abused power," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "Whether he obstructed justice remains for the facts to come forward."

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Comey’s high-profile testimony also has turned part of the spotlight on Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who is expected to be questioned about Russia next week when he appears before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee.

Comey said a decision was made not report to Sessions a Feb. 14 White House meeting where Trump pressed the director to drop the FBI’s inquiry into Flynn, whom Trump fired for withholding information about his contacts with foreign governments. At the time, Comey said, the attorney general was weighing his recusal from all matters related to the Russia investigation — largely for his failure to acknowledge two previous meetings with the Russian ambassador during his January confirmation hearing — and for other “facts’’ the former director said he could not discuss publicly.

“We also were aware of facts that I can’t discuss in an open setting that would make (Sessions’) continued engagement in a Russia-related investigation problematic,’’ Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday.

Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation weeks later. The "facts" that Comey declined to discuss appears to refer to an ongoing inquiry over whether Sessions failed to disclose a third meeting with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, during a April campaign event for then-presidential candidate Trump.

Last week, Democratic Sens. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Al Franken of Minnesota acknowledged that they had pressed the FBI on three separate occasions last year to look into a possible third meeting involving Sessions and Kislyak.

The Justice Department has denied that a third meeting occurred.

“I have sought for months to clarify Attorney General Sessions’ contacts with Russian officials following his false testimony in response to questions from me and from Sen. Franken,'' Leahy said following Comey's Thursday Senate testimony. "We wrote to the FBI requesting that they investigate such matters. I am also deeply concerned about the Attorney General’s role in firing Director Comey in light of his recusal from the Russia investigation.''

After staying off Twitter during Comey's testimony on Thursday, Trump began Friday with a sharp critique of the man he fired last month.

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

In his testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Comey said he believes Trump fired him over the Russia probe, and he accused the White House of lying about the details of the dismissal. He also admitted that he had leaked to the press memos describing his talks with Trump, saying he hoped the stories would spur the appointment of a special counsel to take over the investigation of the Trump campaign's contacts with Russia — which is what happened.

Comey said he leaked the information partly in response to Trump's tweet suggesting there might be tapes of their conversations. Comey said he would welcome the release of any tapes.

As for Trump's tweet attack on Comey, Pelosi said no one at the White House appears to be "brave enough" to tell the president that his tweets are "beneath the dignity of the office you serve."

She added: "The president's fitness for office is something that has been called into question ... I'm very worried about his fitness."

The former FBI director testified that he kept notes on his meetings with the president because he was concerned Trump might lie about the nature of their conversations. These were the notes he asked a friend to leak to the press.

Two officials familiar with Trump's legal strategy said his lawyers plan to file a complaint about Comey's leak with the Inspector General's office at the Department of Justice, and with the Senate Judiciary and Intelligence committees. The officials were not permitted to speak publicly about legal matters still under consideration.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Friday that he and other members of the panel sent a letter to Columbia Law School professor Daniel Richman asking him to provide any memos that Comey shared with him to be leaked to the media.

Also on Friday, the House Intelligence Committee announced that it sent letters to Comey and to White House Counsel Don McGahn seeking any White House recordings or memos documenting Comey’s conversations with President Trump that now exist or existed in the past.

Contributing: Erin Kelly