Politics & Government
President Trump To Russians: Firing 'Nut Job' Comey Relieved 'Pressure' [Report]
A new report from the New York Times gives more insight into Trump's motivation for the firing.

President Trump called former FBI Director James Comey a "nut job" in his Oval Office meeting with Russian officials last week, according to a report from the New York Times. Trump also added that firing Comey took "great pressure" off of him because of the investigation into the Trump campaign's ties with Russia. The Times cites a document summarizing the meeting, which an American official read to the paper.
“I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job,” Trump said, according to the Times. “I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off.” The Times noted that a second official confirmed the "broad outlines" of the account and said Press Secretary Sean Spicer did not contradict the report. (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)
Trump has been accused by some critics of attempting to obstruct justice by firing Comey; the Times said these quotes would support the notion that Trump ousted the FBI director because of the bureau's investigations into his campaign and his associates, rather than because of the treatment Hillary Clinton received from Comey, which the White House originally used to justify the termination.
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Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images
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