Have no confidence in Comey: Trump

Washington, May 10

US President Donald Trump defended his firing of FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday as Democrats intensified accusations that the ouster was intended to undermine an agency probe into his presidential campaign’s possible collusion with Russia to sway the 2016 presidential elections.

The Republican President's abrupt move stunned Washington and was swiftly condemned by Democrats and by some in his own party. Senior Democrats pressed for an independent investigation into the Russia issue.

In the White House as he met with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the Oval Office, Trump was asked by reporters why he fired Comey, responding, “He wasn't doing a good job, very simply.” In a flurry of Twitter posts earlier, Trump offered a further explanation and lambasted his critics.

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“Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me,” he said. “The Democrats have said some of the worst things about James Comey, including the fact that he should be fired, but now they play so sad!” 

The Trump administration said on Tuesday Comey's firing was over his handling of an election-year FBI probe into then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state.

Many Democrats have criticized Comey's management of that investigation, but they sharply questioned the timing of his dismissal, given that Trump could have acted soon after taking office on January 20 and that he has repeatedly criticised the FBI and congressional probes into alleged Russian meddling in the presidential election.

Comey had recently testified on Capitol Hill about the FBI’s investigation into possible collusion between Trump campaign and Moscow during the election.

The New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing three unnamed officials, that Comey had asked Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein last week for a significant boost in resources for the agency’s probe, and later briefed U.S. lawmakers on the request. Republicans control both chambers of Congress, and a growing number of Republicans also expressed doubts over Trump's move. — Reuters

Prez meets Russian foreign minister 

• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met President Donald Trump on Wednesday and praised the US administration as problem solvers, just as the White House drew criticism over the firing of the FBI director who was leading a probe into Moscow's alleged interference in US politics
• The talks with Lavrov were the highest-level public contact between Trump and the Russian government since the Republican took office on January 20
• Trump described his talks with Lavrov as "very, very good." When asked whether the Comey dismissal had affected his meeting, Trump said, “not at all”. He and Lavrov said they discussed the civil war in Syria
• A Congressional source said the FBI director had sought to expand his agency’s probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US election before President Donald Trump fired him. The Trump administration denied the firing was related to the FBI probe of the Trump 2016 presidential campaign's possible collusion with Moscow 

Troubled history: not the first agency chief to be shown the door

William S Sessions (November 2, 1987): Succeeded William H Webster as 4th FBI Director. Removed by Bill Clinton on July 19, 1993, after being accused of numerous ethical lapses

Louis Joseph Freeh (September 1, 1993): Replaced Floyd  Clarke as fifth Director. Resigned on June 25, 2001, amid criticism that FBI needed stronger leadership

Louis Patrick ‘Pat’ Gray III (May 3, 1972): Served for one year until forced to step down in April 1973 due to the Watergate scandal

John Edgar Hoover (March 23, 1935): Acted as the first FBI Director. He headed FBI till his death on May 2, 1972. After critics accused him of abusing power, director’s term was limited to 10 years