Fired FBI Director Comey hopes there are tapes of meetings with Trump

WASHINGTON — Former FBI Director James Comey rebutted the president who fired him as he made his first public appearance since his dismissal last month, delivering spellbinding testimony Thursday that posed a palpable threat to Donald Trump's White House.

WATCH LIVE: Fired FBI Director James Comey testifies

In a wildly anticipated Senate intelligence committee hearing being viewed worldwide, Comey said in written testimony that Trump demanded his "loyalty" and directly pushed him to "lift the cloud" of investigation by declaring publicly the president was not the target of the probe into his campaign's Russia ties.

Live updates: James Comey testifies before Senate Intelligence committee

Comey entered the overflowing Capitol Hill hearing room and took his seat at the witness table, alone, as the session got underway. He listened, hands clasped on his lap, as committee Chairman Richard Burr of North Carolina delivered his opening statement.

"Today," Burr told Comey, "is your opportunity to set the record straight."

Read: James Comey's testimony released ahead of Senate Intelligence hearing

Burr is leading the committee's investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and ties with Trump's own campaign team.

Three days after Trump fired Comey, the president tweeted that Comey should hope there are "no tapes" of their conversations.

Comey said in Thursday hearing, "Lordy, I hope there are tapes," of his conversations with President Donald Trump.

Comey documented his conversations with Trump in memos after the encounters.

Comey says he chose his words carefully when responding to Trump because he was "so stunned" by the conversation. Comey was recalling a February conversation in which, Comey says, Trump said he hoped Comey could let go the FBI's investigation into Trump's first national security adviser Michael Flynn's calls with the Russians.

Comey said he thought during a January dinner with President Donald Trump that the president was "looking to get something" in exchange for allowing him to stay on as FBI director.Comey is describing his views that the president was trying to create a type of "patronage relationship" at the start of the Trump administration.

Comey saif law enforcement leaders aren't "supposed to be peeking out to see whether your patron is pleased or not with what you're doing."

Comey testimony: A timeline of how we got here

After abruptly firing Comey in May, Trump said that he had Russia on his mind as he did so.

Comey testimony: Trump expected to respond on Twitter

"We will establish the facts separate from rampant speculation and lay them out for the American people to make their own judgement," Burr said. "Only then will we be able to move forward and put this issue to rest."

James Comey testimony: Three important takeaways from Comey’s opening statement

Trump was expected to dispute Comey's claims that he demanded loyalty and asked the FBI director to drop an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, according to a person close to the president's legal team who demanded anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss legal strategy.

Comey explained in his Senate Intelligence Committee testimony why he was reluctant to announce that Trump was not under investigation.

He said he wrestled with the decision but said he didn't want to say it publicly because it would create a "duty to correct, which I've lived before and you have to be really careful doing that."

Comey also admitted to leak the contents of his own memos about the meeting with Trump.

In defending the president, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Trump is "learning as he goes" about government and probably did not fully understand the protocols that keep the FBI separate from the president.

Trump said he and his supporters "are under siege" but "will come out bigger and better and stronger than ever."

He spoke Thursday at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's annual conference at the same time Comey was testifying before Congress.

Annotated testimony:

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3860401-Os-Jcomey-060817.html

Associated Press writer Julie Bykowicz contributed to this report.

Associated Press