Ex-FBI boss James Comey: Trump sought to 'lift the cloud' of investigation

"I need loyalty. I expect loyalty."

Ex-FBI director James Comey is to testify under oath today that Donald Trump pressed him for his "loyalty" and pushed him to "lift the cloud" of investigation shadowing his White House by declaring publicly the president was not the target of the probe into any links between his campaign and Russia.

Mr Comey's detailed and vivid recollections of his one-on-one conversations with Mr Trump were revealed in seven pages of prepared testimony released on Wednesday, the day before his much-anticipated appearance before the Senate intelligence committee.