Fired FBI chief James Comey said Thursday he hoped that his private conversations with Donald Trump were recorded, as the president had suggested in a menacing tweet.

Testifying before a Senate committee, Comey said he felt the need to document the interactions -- during which he says Trump urged him to drop a probe into a former aide -- for fear the president might "lie" about their meetings.

He directly addressed Trump's suggestion, saying: "I've seen the tweet about tapes. Lordy, I hope there are tapes."

Three days after he fired the FBI chief last month, Trump tweeted: "James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!"