James Comey testifies in historic hearing, accuses Trump administration of defaming him

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Former FBI Director James Comey testified on Capitol Hill Thursday in a highly anticipated Senate Intelligence Committee hearing.

Comey faced questions regarding the FBI's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, though many political observers expect the real drama to unfold as Comey discusses private interactions he had with President Donald Trump before he was fired in May.

On Wednesday, the former FBI director released his prepared opening testimony, confirming previous bombshell reports that Trump asked the FBI director to pledge loyalty to the president, as well as call off the investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's connections to Russia.

Comey's testimony also confirmed that he took meticulous notes about his meetings with the president, and told Attorney General Jeff Sessions that he did not want to be left alone with Trump because he felt the conversations were inappropriate.

Trump and his top allies have already been pushing back against Thursday's hearing.

The Republican National Committee issued talking points dismissing Comey's testimony, while Trump's attorney released a statement on Wednesday saying he felt vindicated by the former FBI director's statement that the president was not personally under investigation regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The hearing has captured the attention of much of the political world, drawing comparisons to historic hearings about the Iran-Contra scandal and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' confirmation.

Bars in Washington, DC, and San Francisco have even opened early for people looking to watch the hearings. 

Check below for live updates from the hearing.

10:18 — Sen. Mark Warner in his opening statement: "This is not a witch hunt. It's not fake news. It's an attempt to protect our country from a new threat that will not go anywhere anytime soon."

AP

10:22 — Comey said the shifting White House explanation for his dismissal confused him and "concerned" him. "It confused me when I saw on television that he actually fired me because of the Russia investigation."

Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images

10:22— Comey: "I was also confused by the initial explanation that was offered publicly that I was fired because of the decisions I had made during the election year. That didn't make sense to me for a whole bunch of reasons, including the time and all the water that had gone under the bridge since those decisions had to be made."

Alex Brandon/AP Images

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