Comey: I was fired over Russia probe

EPACopyright: EPA

So far Donald Trump has refrained from commenting on Comey's explosive allegations.

At a photo-op on Thursday afternoon, he "smiled through pursed lips" when asked if Comey was telling the truth, according to a pool reporter travelling with him.

Nor has the president shared his thoughts on Twitter. Yet. It can't be long, though, can it?

He is currently at an "infrastructure week" function in the State Dining Room of the White House.

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Meanwhile, the Democrats are challenging Trump to show the truth by playing the tapes he hinted he had made of his conversation with Comey.

US political news website Axios reports the mood in the West Wing is upbeat because Comey said publicly Trump is not under investigation.

It says the White House strategy is to have Comey depicted as a "leaker" after the former FBI director testified that he orchestrated the leak of accounts of his conversations with Trump because he thought it might lead to the appointment of a special prosecutor to the Russia inquiry.

The president's private attorney Marc Kasowitz denies Trump ever told Comey he needed and expected his loyalty, as Comey testified, and lambasts the former FBI chief for saying he leaked details of a conversation with the president.

Republicans are pointing to Comey's testimony as proof that Donald Trump has done nothing wrong during his time in office.

Using the hashtag #BigLeagueTruth the official Republican @GOP Twitter account has been posting their favourite snippets.

Here's the verdict from pub-goers in the nation's capital, where bars hosted #ComeyDay viewing parties.

Senator Ben Cardin is citing one specific passage in Comey's remarks.

The Maryland Democrat said in a statement: "I hope that my colleagues who have yet to co-sponsor my legislation to create an independent, 9/11-style commission were paying attention when Mr Comey said of Russia: 'We’re talking about a foreign government trying to shape the way we think, we vote, we act. This is a big deal. It’s not about Republicans or Democrats, they’re coming after America. They think this great experiment of ours is a threat to them and they want to tear it down. They will be back to meddle again.'"

Senator John McCain has responded to online head-scratching over his questioning today, in which he referred to "President Comey".

The former FBI director was not alone in struggling to grasp the Arizona senator’s gist.

But 80-year-old McCain has explained that he stayed up late watching his favourite baseball team.

"I get the sense from Twitter that my line of questioning today went over people’s heads," he said in a statement.

"Maybe going forward I shouldn’t stay up late watching the Diamondbacks night games."

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Trump's lawyer points to Comey belief that Moscow did not affect the actual US voting process.

Marc Kasowitz said: "Mr Comey also admitted that there is no evidence that a single vote changed as a result of any Russian interference."

Whether hackers' alleged leaking of Democratic officials' embarrassing emails could have influenced the decisions of American voters is another matter.

The president has insisted the whole Russia inquiry is a hoax perpetuated by Democrats as an excuse for losing an election their candidate was widely expected to win.

Trump's lawyer is taking some flak online for a spelling error in the very first line of his statement.

"I am Marc Kasowitz, Predisent Trump’s personal lawyer."

More on Marc Kasowitz's call for Mr Comey to be investigated. He says in his statement: "Today, Mr Comey admitted that he leaked to friends his purported memos of these privileged conversations, one of which he testified was classified. We will leave it the appropriate authorities to determine whether this leaks should be investigated along with all those others being investigated."

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Marc Kasowitz is disputing key elements of James Comey's testimony as he addresses reporters.

Lawyer Marc Kasowitz is saying that President Trump "never suggested the FBI stop investigating anyone" including national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Mr Kasowitz suggests that Mr Comey could be investigated for leaking "privileged communications with the media".

Russian state-run news channel Rossiya 24 introduced Thursday's hearings as "The Comey Show". It said US senators were "dreaming about the Kremlin".

Marc Kasowitz, the lawyer Donald Trump has appointed to represent him in the Russia inquiry, is about to make a statement.

Don’t go away.

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If you're just joining us, here's what you missed...

• Referring to the president's claim that he was fired because he was incapable of leading the FBI, Comey accused Trump of telling "lies, plain and simple"
• Comey said he took meticulous notes of his meetings with Trump because he was concerned the president would lie about them. "I was honestly concerned that he might lie," he said
• Comey said he had "no doubt" that he was fired by Trump to "change" the Russia investigation, and called his sacking a "very big deal"
• Comey said he had no doubt that Russia meddled in the US election, but said there was no evidence that it had successfully altered any votes
• Regarding Trump's tweeted threat that he had taped Comey in the Oval Office, Comey was unconcerned. "Release all the tapes, I’m good with it," he said
• Comey said he told Trump he was not the subject of an open foreign counter-intelligence investigation