Trump: The Dismissal of James Comey Was My Decision

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, stated on Thursday that he had wanted to dismiss James Comey, the Director of the FBI, from the beginning, regardless of the recommendations from Justice Department officials. In an interview with NBC, Trump described Comey as a 'showboat' and 'grandstander.' The President emphasized that the FBI was in turmoil during Comey's management. He stated, 'I wanted to fire James Comey. It was my decision. Beyond the recommendations, I wanted him fired.' Trump noted that the timing for dismissing the FBI director had not been appropriate before. On Tuesday, Trump dismissed Comey, writing in a letter to him that he lacked the ability to effectively lead the FBI and that a new leader was needed to restore public trust in the agency. This dismissal came despite the White House's earlier statement that Trump acted on the recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Comey's firing has triggered reactions from Democrats, who claim that the dismissal was aimed at covering up the FBI's investigation into the connections between Trump's campaign and Russia to influence the election results. In the NBC interview, Trump also mentioned that he had asked Comey three separate times whether the FBI was investigating him, to which Comey assured him that he was not under investigation. Trump reiterated that there was no collusion between Russia and his campaign and claimed that Russian interference in the 2016 election was a fabricated story by Democrats to justify their electoral loss. Meanwhile, Andrew McCabe, the acting FBI director, testified on Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee regarding the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, stating that Comey had broad support within the FBI. McCabe expressed confidence that the FBI would complete its investigation thoroughly. He rejected reports that Comey had requested additional resources for the Russia investigation. American media reported that Comey had sought more resources from the Justice Department for the investigation into Russia. Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat and member of the Judiciary Committee, also mentioned that she had heard Comey was looking to expand the investigation into Russian interference. The Wall Street Journal reported that Comey had met with Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee to discuss the investigation before his dismissal. U.S. security agencies concluded in January 2017 that Vladimir Putin personally ordered actions to disrupt the U.S. election, including hacking the Democratic Party's email system and releasing their emails to help Trump's victory. The Russian government has repeatedly denied interfering in the U.S. presidential election, and the Trump administration also denies any collaboration between the campaign or its associates and Russia.