Former FBI boss James Comey has warned that Donald Trump supporters have been radicalised like members of ISIS or Al Qaeda.

He said they pose a “significant threat”, with “maybe tens of thousands” armed and spread across the US.

Mr Comey, who was controversially fired by the US President in 2017, also claimed impeachment is the right way forward for Mr Trump.

Mr Trump became the first president in history to be impeached twice while in office over claims he incited the deadly Capitol riots earlier this month.

The Republican President’s supporters think they are “on the side of the angels”, according to Mr Comey.

The ex-FBI director told Times Radio: “We have a significant threat now and going forward, because we have thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people in this country who have been radicalised, who have been fed a constant storm of lies by the President of the United States and those around him, that terrible wrongs have been done.

“And they're now on the side of the angels, and they must take their country back is very similar to the rhetoric and the radicalisation of an Al Qaeda or an Islamic State.

“And so finding a way to deal with that threat is going to consume law enforcement for the foreseeable future.”

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He added: “The good news is that the threat can be contained, it's in some ways less sophisticated than that coming from outside terrorists.

“But these domestic terrorists are armed, they're spread all over the country, and they believe they're on the side of the angels, that's deeply concerning.

“But we can be safe in our public events from these people.”

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He said he hopes to see “prosperity, energy and a return to a healthier centre” than could be imagined “in the chaos of the attack on the Capitol”.

Mr Comey, 60, was fired while the FBI was investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.

The House of Representatives approved the articles of impeachment last week, which means the Senate will hold a trial on whether he is guilty.

He was charged with inciting an insurrection following the riots, which saw five people die and dozens injured.

Mr Trump gave a speech to his supporters ahead of the unrest.

In the wake of the chaos, he has been banned from social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook.

In her US First Lady farewell speech on Monday, Melania Trump said "violence is never the answer and will never be justified".

Democratic president-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in at his inauguration on Wednesday.

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