‘My Decision’: Trump Says He Planned to Fire ‘Grandstander’ Comey Regardless of Counsel

NBC released a preview of their interview with Donald Trump, where the president said that it was always his plan to fire James Comey as the director of the FBI.

Trump spoke with Lester Holt about his decision this week, and he slammed Comey as “showboat” and a “grandstander” who threw the FBI into “turmoil.” When Holt asked about how Trump’s announcement referred to a recommendation from deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, Trump said it was all “[his] decision” and that he already planned to terminate Comey.

Holt went on to ask Trump about how his letter claimed that Comey previously told the president three times that he was not being investigated for whether his 2016 campaign colluded with Russia. Trump said that Comey told him this when the two of them had dinner together, and that Comey said the same thing again in two phone calls afterwards.

Holt noted that Comey has given sworn testimony about how the Trump campaign is under investigation, and that the president was obviously the campaign’s centerpiece. Trump responded by reiterating that he, himself, was not under investigation.

Earlier this week, the White House has been insisting that Trump’s decision on Comey came as a result of the counsel he received from Rosenstein. It is also of note that Corey’s temporary replacement, Andrew McCabe, told the Senate Intelligence Committee today that Comey’s staff at the FBI was not losing faith in his leadership.

The full interview will air tonight on NBC Nightly News.

[Image via screengrab]

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