Trump: I would speak under oath on Comey

US President Donald Trump and Romania's President Klaus Iohannis appear at the White House.Image copyright
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Mr Trump says Mr Comey’s testimony showed there was “no collusion, no obstruction”

US President Donald Trump says he is “100%” willing to speak under oath about his conversations with ex-FBI chief James Comey.

Speaking at the White House, he denied having asked for Mr Comey’s loyalty or for an inquiry into his former national security adviser to be dropped.

“James Comey confirmed a lot of what I said, and some of the things he said just weren’t true,” Mr Trump said.

Mr Comey says Mr Trump fired him because of the Russia inquiry.

The former FBI chief was investigating whether the president or his campaign officials colluded with an alleged Kremlin plot to sway last year’s US presidential election in favour of Mr Trump.

On Thursday, Mr Comey testified to one of several congressional committees that is also looking into the Russia claims.

He said the president had pressured him to drop a probe into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, whom Mr Trump fired for misleading the White House over M Flynn’s contacts with Moscow’s ambassador.

Under oath, the former FBI director also told the Senate Intelligence Committee that the president had asked him during a one-one dinner at the White House to pledge loyalty.

At a press conference on Friday afternoon in the Rose Garden with the visiting president of Romania, Mr Trump rejected Mr Comey claims.

He said the former FBI director’s testimony showed there was “no collusion, no obstruction”.

The US president was asked by a journalist if he would be willing to give his version of events under oath.

“One hundred per cent,” Mr Trump said.

“I hardly know the man [Mr Comey],” he said. “I’m not going to say, ‘I want you to pledge allegiance.’

“Who would do that? Who would ask a man to pledge allegiance under oath? I mean, think of it.

“I hardly know the man. It doesn’t make sense.”

Trump: I would speak under oath on Comey