Trump Comey Dispute: President Trump lashes out at fired FBI director

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The White House is pre-emptively attacking former FBI director James Comey, before the release of his book Tuesday. President Donald Trump tweeted that the former director is - quote: a liar, slimeball, and untrustworthy. CGTN's Jim Spellman has the details.

Speaking out before the release of his highly anticipated book, Former FBI director James Comey says he doesn't know for sure if Russia has compromising material on U.S. President Donald Trump.

JAMES COMEY FORMER FBI DIRECTOR "I think it's possible. I don't know. These are more words that I never thought I'd utter about a President of the United States but it's possible."

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS ABC NEWS "That's stunning. You can't say for certain that the President of the United States is not compromised by the Russians."

JAMES COMEY FORMER FBI DIRECTOR "It is stunning and I wish I wasn't saying it. But it's the truth."

And summing up his perception of Donald Trump.

JAMES COMEY FORMER FBI DIRECTOR "Not fit to be President of the United States on moral grounds."

Before the interview was released, Trump was criticizing Comey, even calling him a slime ball on Twitter while the Republican National Committee launched a website to discredit the ex-FBI director. By Monday, the White House was in damage control mode.

KELLYANNE CONWAY COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP "The president thinks that Jim Comey is engaging in revisionist history."

Meantime, Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen was in a New York courtroom arguing that documents seized by authorities last week contained materials protected by Attorney - Client privilege.

Present at the hearing- a pornographic film actress known as Stormy Daniels.

Cohen arranged to pay her 130 thousand dollars in exchange for not discussing a sexual relationship she claims to have had with Donald Trump more than a decade before he became President.

Documents pertaining to their arrangement may be part of the ongoing investigation.

JIM SPELLMAN WASHINGTON "Daniels is seeking to have that non-disclosure agreement declared invalid. President Trump denies knowing anything about the arrangement. It's not clear if any laws were broken by Cohen, but some legal analysts have suggested the payout may have amounted to an illegal campaign contribution. Jim Spellman CGTN Washington."