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James Comey firing: FBI director's dismissal rocks Washington – live
James Comey fired 'days after requesting Russia inquiry resources' – live
(35 minutes later)
6.38pm BST
7.15pm BST
18:38
19:15
Whom can Trump trust?
Q: Who’s the next FBI director going to be?
A Republican close to President tells me Trump has been increasingly isolated in recent days. Frustrated, avoiding major public appearances
A: “There are several individuals being considered and the first step will be selecting the interim director... as of today, the department of justice is handling the first step.”
Trump advisers leaking to media are now deliberately sabotaging presidency. Major house cleaning needed for survivalhttps://t.co/MH1lGXoN4C
7.14pm BST
5.50pm BST
19:14
17:50
White House: Clinton 'would have fired Comey immediately'
Justice department walks back denial of Times report
Sanders is asked whether Comey’s firing won’t make bipartisan comity, and thus legislative scores, more difficult to achieve:
Earlier today the justice department denied a New York Times report that Comey in recent days had “asked the Justice Department for a significant increase in money and personnel for the bureau’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the presidential election.”
Frankly I’m surprised that it did create a divide since you’ve had so many Republicans and Democrats call for Comey to be gone.
The Times report has been changed from that original wording to refer to “resources,” not “money and personnel.”
Sanders says “If Hillary Clinton won, and thank god she didn’t, she would have fired Comey immediately.”
That latest characterization squares with a new justice department explanation of what Comey had asked for.
7.10pm BST
Update: Spokeswoman Sarah Flores said "more resources" stead of "more money." Tells reporters she spoke directly w/ Rosenstein about reports https://t.co/tmjpi4pipo
19:10
5.40pm BST
Sanders, on frustration at the decision among the FBI rank-and-file:
17:40
We’ve heard from countless members of the FBI that say very different things. The president will be meeting with acting director McCabe to discuss [morale at the FBI]” and might visit the bureau.
Further reactions from elected officials
7.09pm BST
Republican senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa: ‘suck it up’
19:09
Chuck Grassley on Comey firing: "Suck it up and move on" https://t.co/im9LZf9odE
White House: special prosecutor unnecessary
Republican senator David Perdue of Georgia: ‘I stand behind’ Trump
Sanders on a possible special prosecutor: “We don’t think it’s necessary. You’ve got a house committee, a senate committee and the department of justice.”
President Trump acted decisively and within his authority, and I stand behind him. The FBI is much larger than one person and the bureau has thousands of agents working hard every day to keep our nation safe. I am confident a new permanent director will be nominated and confirmed as soon as possible.
7.07pm BST
Republican representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina: thanks to Comey
Sanders, on how Comey was fired (via a letter carried to the FBI by Trump’s personal bodyguard):
Republican representative Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania: ‘confounding and troubling’
He followed the proper protocol in that process which is handwritten notification. No matter how you fire someone, it’s never an easy process.
pic.twitter.com/DbEiQA1Ub0
Sanders says she’s not aware of Trump and Comey having spoken.
Democratic senator Bob Casey: ‘Nixonian’
On whether Trump was aware of Comey’s request for further resources for the Russia inquiry:
This is Nixonian. Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein must immediately appoint a special prosecutor to continue the Trump/Russia investigation.
Not that I’m aware of, ask the justice department.
5.13pm BST
7.05pm BST
17:13
19:05
Putin: 'we had nothing to do with it'
Sanders says she can’t comment on the reported subpoenas seeking info from Michael Flynn associates.
Putin, suited up for hockey, shrugs when asked about the Comey firing. He says Trump acted “according to his competence” and “we had nothing to do with it” and the effect on US-Russian relations would be nil. He also observed that the question was funny at that moment.
On the question of deciding whether to appoint a special prosecutor, Sanders says “I believe that would fall to the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein.”
Our @elizapalmer caught Russian Pres. Putin rink side and asked him about the firing of former. Dir. Comey. pic.twitter.com/3nytJYi0si
Sanders says it’s a good thing “to have Comey out of the way so there’s someone leading this process that everybody across the board has respect and confidence in.”
7.03pm BST
19:03
Sanders, on Trump’s view of the Russian investigations in Congress and the FBI:
He wants them to continue with whatever they see appropriate and fit... we encourage them to complete this investigation so we can put it behind us.. .there’s no evidence between the Trump campaign and Russia.”
7.02pm BST
19:02
Q: Can we expect more firings?
A: “Not that I’m aware of today.”
7.02pm BST
19:02
Sanders won’t describe when Comey told Trump that Trump was not under investigation. Trump’s letter to Comey said Comey told him three times that he, Trump, was not personally under investigation.
7.01pm BST
19:01
Sanders is trashing Comey’s leadership of the FBI and conduct within the justice department.
Then she denies that the meetings with Lavrov and Kissinger had been long-planned:
These were meetings that have been on the books for a while. They didn’t just happen... there’s not a strategy to go after the Democrats on this... the Democrats are trying to politicize and take away something he should be doing.
When was the decision to fire made?
He made the decision with the final decision to move forward with it was yesterday” but “he had been considering” firing Comey ever since he took office and “there was no request by him to have a review at the department of justice.”
6.58pm BST
18:58
Sanders bypasses a question about Russia, saying she’s sure we’ll get back to that.
6.58pm BST
18:58
Comey “took a stick of dynamite and threw it in the Department of Justice” by calling a press conference last July and saying there was no prosecutable case against Hillary Clinton, Sanders says.
When did Trump lose confidence in Comey?
Sanders:
I think it’s been an erosion of confidence. I think that director Comey has shown in the last several months and the last year a lot of missteps and mistakes ... frankly I think it’s startling that Democrats aren’t celebrating this.
Updated
Updated
at 5.55pm BST
at 6.59pm BST
5.08pm BST
6.56pm BST
17:08
18:56
The justice department has denied the New York Times report that Comey recently requested new money and personnel to conduct the Russia-Trump inquiry:
White House: Trump asked Rosenstein to put concerns in writing
BREAKING: Justice Dept spokeswoman flatly denies that Comey asked for more money and resources for Trump-Russia probe, contra reports
Question: Did the president direct Rosenstein to write this memo?
Answer: “No ... but he did have a conversation with the deputy attorney general ... [and the attorney general] ... [Trump] asked them to put those concerns in writing ... he asked them to put that recommendation in writing, but he came to him on his [sic] own.”
Updated
Updated
at 5.08pm BST
at 7.00pm BST
5.05pm BST
6.54pm BST
17:05
18:54
Trump and Putin to meet this summer, Lavrov says
White House briefing begins
Here’s Julian Borger on Lavrov’s news conference:
Sarah Huckabee Sanders has begun the White House briefing, for which she is filling Sean Spicer’s role – unclear why. You can watch here on CSPAN.
Lavrov rejected Russian role in US politics as fake news. Praised Trump-Tillerson as being more "businesslike" that Obama..1/2
6.49pm BST
Lavrov 2/2 Said there was a "common understanding" on concept of "de-escalation zones" in Syria, with the US taking initiative in the south
18:49
Lavrov also said a Trump-Putin meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit scheduled for July was confirmed today.
Sessions, Rosenstein met with Trump on Monday – report
4.52pm BST
Attorney general Jeff Sessions and deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein met with Trump at the White House on Monday and told him he should fire Comey, McClatchy reports without citing sources.
16:52
The exclusive report makes Trump’s decision to fire Comey sound like a reaction to a concrete justice department recommendation.
Comey had requested resources for Russian inquiry – NY Times
The report says Trump “called a handful of senators of both parties to inform them of the news”.
The New York Times reports that “days before he was fired,” Comey “asked the Justice Department for a significant increase in money and personnel for the bureau’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the presidential election, according to three officials with knowledge of his request.”
From the Times report:
Mr. Comey asked for the resources during a meeting last week with Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general who wrote the Justice Department’s memo that was used to justify the firing of the F.B.I. director this week.
Mr. Comey then briefed members of Congress on the meeting in recent days.
Update: the justice department denies the Times report:
BREAKING: Justice Dept spokeswoman flatly denies that Comey asked for more money and resources for Trump-Russia probe, contra reports
Updated
Updated
at 5.08pm BST
at 7.01pm BST
4.49pm BST
16:49
Here’s video of the Trump response on Comey:
NEW: Pres. Trump when asked why he fired FBI Director Comey: “Because he wasn’t doing a good job. Very simple, he was not doing a good job” pic.twitter.com/b7zQqlyh4x
4.47pm BST
16:47
Guardian world affairs editor Julian Borger is waiting on Lavrov at the Russian embassy:
Lavrov just about to start presser at Russian Embassy
4.43pm BST
16:43
Here’s a report from the White House press pool on the scene they discovered when they entered the Oval Office expecting to find Sergei Lavrov and instead found Henry Kissinger.
Q: Mr. President, why did you fire Director Comey?
TRUMP: “He wasn’t doing a good job. Very simply. He was not doing a good job.”
Q: Did it affect your meeting with the Russians today?
TRUMP: “Not at all.”
Trump did not respond when asked if the new FBI director will be in charge of the Russia investigation.
4.41pm BST
16:41
Burr opposes special prosecutor
Republicans are falling in behind the McConnell line: there’s no need for a special prosecutor. That includes North Carolina senator Richard Burr, who heads the intelligence committee, AP reports:
The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee says there’s no need for a special prosecutor to investigate Russia’s ties to the Trump campaign in the wake of the firing of the FBI director.
Burr says his committee has the jurisdiction and responsibility to continue its Russia investigation and “we are going to do that.”
However Burr reiterated questions about President Donald Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey. “The timing of this and the reasoning for it doesn’t make sense to me.”
And, Burr said that the firing “made our task a little more difficult but it didn’t make it impossible so we’ll continue.”
Burr said he spoke to Trump but wouldn’t detail the exchange. He said they didn’t discuss his committee’s investigation
4.38pm BST
16:38
Henry Kissinger, what have you done with Sergei Lavrov?
Pool brought into the Oval. It's Trump and ... Kissinger. pic.twitter.com/1F1CPO4kQw
4.36pm BST
16:36
Trump on Comey: 'he was not doing a good job'
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump on decision to fire James Comey as FBI director: 'He was not doing a good job'
Trump just offered his first public comments on firing Comey while meeting with Henry Kissinger in the Oval Office
4.18pm BST
16:18
Oh, Kislyak was there too, Moscow informs us:
Ambassador Kislyak and President Trump / Посол С.Кисляк и Президент Д.Трамп pic.twitter.com/Ckkx2YL9KX
4.13pm BST
16:13
The Washington Post’s Dave Weigel compares Republicans’ reactions to the Comey firing to their reactions to the Trump “grab ’em by the pussy” audio. Outrage followed by silence.
For all the attention on Rs with Comey questions, the story is most of the GOP and conservative media closing ranks. https://t.co/aSvDKvZw26
Reminiscent of the “Access Hollywood” fallout — lots of attention on Trump critics, who eventually shrugged it off. https://t.co/NDx3xklo9J
4.06pm BST
16:06
Moscow releases photo of Lavrov-Trump meeting
#Lavrov - @realDonaldTrump meeting has just started | В Овальном кабинете началась встреча С.Лаврова с Д.Трампом#RussiaUSA #РоссияСША pic.twitter.com/7raFrkWhiC
First photo of this meeting, which was closed to the press, comes from the Russian government. https://t.co/OdDDF16JAW
4.04pm BST
16:04
Pence: 'right decision, right time'
Pence walking through the Capitol responds to questions about Comey firing: "Right decision, right time."
4.02pm BST
16:02
Here’s further reaction, from centrist Republican senator Rob Portman, who asks for a “fuller explanation regarding the president’s rationale”:
I want to thank Director Comey for his service to our country. Regardless of his handling of the Clinton email matter during the presidential election last year — for which both parties had questions and concerns — he has always done what he believed was in the best interest of the country. Given the timing and circumstances of the decision, I believe the White House should provide a fuller explanation regarding the president’s rationale. The American people must have faith in a strong, independent FBI. I’m concerned about eroding trust in this premier law enforcement agency. It is important that whoever is nominated to succeed Director Comey is a highly-qualified and respected leader who will provide a fresh start for the bureau.
And here is part of a transcript of majority leader McConnell’s remarks earlier on the senate floor. He accuses Democrats of playing politics:
So what we have now, Mr. President, is our Democratic colleagues complaining about the removal of an FBI Director whom they themselves repeatedly and sharply criticized, by a man, Rod Rosenstein, whom they repeatedly and effusively praised — when Mr. Rosenstein recommended Mr. Comey’s removal for many of the very reasons they have complained about.
McConnell also opposes “a new investigation,” ie a special prosecutor, and voices support for Rosenstein:
Two investigations are currently ongoing: the Senate Intelligence Committee’s review of Russian active measures and intelligence activities, and the FBI investigation disclosed by Director Comey. Today we will no doubt hear calls for a new investigation which could only serve to impede the current work being done to not only discover what the Russians may have done, but also to let this body and the national security community to develop the countermeasures and warfighting doctrine to see that it doesn’t occur again. Partisan calls should not delay the considerable work of Chairman Burr and Vice Chairman Warner — too much is at stake.
Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein was just confirmed on a bipartisan basis — 94 to 6 — and that sort of fair consideration should continue when the Senate receives an FBI Director nominee. As I said yesterday, once the Senate receives a nomination to fill this position, we will all look forward to a full, fair, and timely confirmation process. This is a critical role that is particularly important as our country continues to face serious threats at home and abroad.
(thanks @smithinamerica)
3.51pm BST
15:51
Rubio, who earlier was “surprised” at the Comey firing, does now have questions, he says:
Sen Marco Rubio R-FL on Comey firing: "I do have questions about why he was dismissed at this time"
Lisa Murkowski, the Republican senator from Alaska, agrees that the timing looks suspicious and is open to a special prosecutor:
Should there be a special prosecutor?Murkowski: "I think it needs to be considered."Does the timing look suspicious?Murkowski: "Sure."
Republican senator James Lankford is “surprised in the timing”:
Sen James Lankford R-OK on Comey: "A little surprised in the timing; trying to find out why this was the moment"
