Former FBI director James Comey has accused US President Donald Trump on Thursday of firing him to try to undermine the bureau's investigation into possible collusion between his 2016 presidential campaign team and Russia.

Mr Trump dismissed Mr Comey on May 9, and the administration gave differing reasons for the action. Mr Trump later contradicted his own staff and acknowledged on May 11 that he fired Comey because of the Russia probe.

Asked at a US congressional hearing why he was fired, Comey said he did not know for sure. But he added: "I take the President's words. I know I was fired because of something about the way I was conducting the Russia investigation was in some way putting pressure on him, in some way irritating him, and he decided to fire me because of that."

Sitting alone at a small table facing a bank of senators who fired question after question, Mr Comey gave short, deliberative answers. He painted a picture of an overbearing President who he did not trust and who pressured him to stop the FBI Flynn probe.



Mr Comey earlier told the Senate Intelligence Committee in the most eagerly anticipated US congressional hearing in years that he believed Mr Trump had directed him to drop an FBI probe into the Republican President's former national security adviser as part of the Russia investigation.

But Mr Comey would not say whether he thought the President sought to obstruct justice.

Mr Comey said the administration had told lies and defamed him and the FBI after the President dismissed him.

Mr Trump had suggested he would live-tweet the hearing, with bars reportedly offering free shots every time he posted a tweet, but has so far been silent. His son Donald Trump Jr posted a series of tweets claiming Mr Comey's testimony "vindicated" his father.

Mr Trump did give a speech however, telling supporters in Washington they were "under seige".

"We're under siege... but we will come out bigger and better and stronger than ever," he said.

"We will not back down from doing what is right... we know how to fight and we will never give up."



During the hearing, Mr Comey said:

Mr Trump himself was not under investigation at the point of his sacking from FBI

he took it "as a direction" when Mr Trump remarked he hoped Mr Comey would drop an investigation into Flynn

he began to take notes of meetings with Mr Trump because he "was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting, so I thought it really important to document"

he had a friend leak a memo of his conversations with Mr Trump to the press in a bid to have a special prosecutor appointed to investigate Russian election interference

"Lordy, I hope there are tapes," of his conversations with Mr Trump. Three days after Mr Trump fired Mr Comey, the President tweeted that Mr Comey should hope there are "no tapes" of their conversations

he knew of a "variety of reasons" why Attorney General Jeff Sessions' involvement in the Russia investigation would be problematic before Sessions recused himself in March

Mr Trump had repeatedly told him he was doing a great job

the administration chose to defame him and FBI by saying organisation was in disarray - "those were lies, plain and simple"

he has no doubt Russia interfered with US election, but is confident no votes cast in 2016 election were altered

it is not for him to say whether Mr Trump tried to obstruct justice in their conversations

he found conversations with Trump very disturbing

Mr Trump did not ask him to stop Russia investigation

the FBI became aware of Russia cyber intrusion in late summer of 2015.

Mr Trump's lawyer Marc Kasowitz said Mr Trump "never" demanded Mr Comey's loyalty, nor "in form or substance, directed or suggested" the FBI drop the investigation into ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn.

He did not take questions from the gathered press.

Mr Comey was largely calm and collected during the hearing, but became passionate when talking about his ex-colleagues and staff at the FBI.

"To my former colleagues: I am so sorry that I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye to you properly," he said. "It was the honor of my life to serve beside you, to be part of the FBI family, and I will miss it for the rest of my life."



Obstruction of justice?

Mr Comey's testimony Mr Trump expected loyalty and hoped he would drop an investigation into Mr Flynn could bolster obstruction of justice allegations against Trump, several legal experts said.

Such allegations might be used as the basis for impeachment proceedings, some of the analysts said. Any such step would face a steep hurdle, however, as it would require approval by the US House of Representatives, which is controlled by Mr Trump's fellow Republicans.

Mr Comey said it would be up special counsel Robert Mueller to decide whether Mr Trump could be charged with obstruction of justice.

"I don't think it's for me to say whether the conversation I had with the President was an effort to obstruct. I took it as a very disturbing thing, very concerning."

