Donald Trump went on the offensive against his former FBI director on Friday accusing him of lying under oath when he testified a day earlier that the President asked him to drop an investigation into a key aide.

Instead he claimed evidence given by James Comey before the Senate a day earlier cleared him of allegations of obstruction of justice and colluding with Russian officials.

“We were very very happy,” he said. “James Comey confirmed a lot of what I said and some of the things that he said just weren’t true.”

He also said he would be happy to give his account of events to a special counsel appointed to head the investigation into Russia links and insisted that he never asked Mr Comey to swear personal loyalty, directly contradicting the former FBI director’s sworn testimony.

“Who would ask a man to pledge allegiance under oath? I hardly know that man," he said.