What Happened?
Trump fired Comey on May 9, days after the FBI head testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee and answered questions on a variety of topics, including his investigation of Hillary Clinton's emails and Russian interference in the 2016 election. At the time of his firing, Comey was leading the FBI’s wide-reaching probe into possible collusion between Russia and Trump campaign officials.
Why Was He Fired?
Although Trump and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein cited Comey's handling of a probe into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server as a primary reason for his termination, Trump later admitted he considered Comey's pursuit of the Russia investigation when making his decision. Trump also said he would have fired Comey regardless of the Justice Department's recommendation.
How Did Trump Respond?
Trump met with Russian officials in the Oval Office the day after firing Comey, and he reportedly told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak that Comey was "a real nut job."
"I faced great pressure because of Russia," Trump reportedly told them. "That's taken off."
The president also faced intense criticism for his discussion of highly classified intelligence during the same meeting.
Trump hinted repeatedly that Comey should be careful about discussing his firing because the president might have recorded their previous meetings -- a move some suggested amounted to witness intimidation. Trump later clarified that there were no tapes.
"I faced great pressure because of Russia," Trump reportedly told them. "That's taken off."
The president also faced intense criticism for his discussion of highly classified intelligence during the same meeting.
Trump hinted repeatedly that Comey should be careful about discussing his firing because the president might have recorded their previous meetings -- a move some suggested amounted to witness intimidation. Trump later clarified that there were no tapes.