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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2017/may/10/donald-trump-fires-fbi-director-james-comey-reaction-live
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| Version 13 | Version 14 |
|---|---|
| James Comey fired 'days after requesting Russia inquiry resources' – live | James Comey fired 'days after requesting Russia inquiry resources' – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 8.59pm BST | |
| 20:59 | |
| Hi readers, this is Julia Carrie Wong in San Francisco, taking over the live blog. | |
| Reactions to Comey’s firing continue to pour in from lawmakers and politicians. The New York Times has compiled a very handy list here, with responses divided into four categories: calls for a special prosecutor, calls for an independent investigation, “questions or concerns” and “neutral or support.” | |
| Unsurprisingly, the breakdown is partisan, with just three Republicans calling for an independent investigation, and zero supporting a special prosecutor. | |
| Notably absent from the list is Paul Ryan. The speaker of the House is at a factory in Ohio today, but declined to answer questions from reporters. Ryan is scheduled to appear on Fox News at 6pm tonight. | |
| .@SpeakerRyan during factory tour in Ohio declines to answer multiple questions about FBI Director Comey's firing | |
| 8.32pm BST | |
| 20:32 | |
| Trump: Democrats are 'phony hypocrites' | |
| Trump says Democrats are feigning discomfort with the firing of Comey to score political points. That view omits the possibility, among others, that people have honestly come-by concerns that a reckless executive has committed an egregious abuse of power and damaged the rule of law possibly to protect himself or his friends from the rule of law. | |
| Dems have been complaining for months & months about Dir. Comey. Now that he has been fired they PRETEND to be aggrieved. Phony hypocrites! | |
| 8.25pm BST | 8.25pm BST |
| 20:25 | 20:25 |
| Warren: 'no doubt' firing was a cover-up | Warren: 'no doubt' firing was a cover-up |
| Senator Elizabeth Warren tells CNN that Comey’s firing was meant “to cut off any investigation into... any connections with the Russians”: | Senator Elizabeth Warren tells CNN that Comey’s firing was meant “to cut off any investigation into... any connections with the Russians”: |
| .@SenWarren tells @mkraju "there's just no doubt" that the firing of James Comey was a cover-up https://t.co/42GirwKXNH | .@SenWarren tells @mkraju "there's just no doubt" that the firing of James Comey was a cover-up https://t.co/42GirwKXNH |
| 8.04pm BST | 8.04pm BST |
| 20:04 | 20:04 |
| Russia toys with US media | Russia toys with US media |
| Julian Borger | Julian Borger |
| Sergei Lavrov came to Washington on Wednesday after an absence of four years and was absolutely shocked – shocked! – to hear that Russia had been accused of meddling in US internal affairs. | Sergei Lavrov came to Washington on Wednesday after an absence of four years and was absolutely shocked – shocked! – to hear that Russia had been accused of meddling in US internal affairs. |
| There also seemed to have been some fuss about the FBI director James Comey’s abrupt dismissal the night before, in the midst of a multi-pronged investigation into Russian interference. | There also seemed to have been some fuss about the FBI director James Comey’s abrupt dismissal the night before, in the midst of a multi-pronged investigation into Russian interference. |
| “Was he fired? You’re kidding! You’re kidding!” the Russian foreign minister exclaimed when a journalist asked him whether Comey’s downfall might throw a shadow over the Russian’s visit. The surprise was archly theatrical of course, delivered with the knowing smirk of Captain Renault expressing astonishment at gambling going on in the casino in Casablanca. | “Was he fired? You’re kidding! You’re kidding!” the Russian foreign minister exclaimed when a journalist asked him whether Comey’s downfall might throw a shadow over the Russian’s visit. The surprise was archly theatrical of course, delivered with the knowing smirk of Captain Renault expressing astonishment at gambling going on in the casino in Casablanca. |
| While Lavrov toyed with the press, his host, Rex Tillerson, stood by smiling, silent and upstaged outside his seventh floor office before giving the press a little wave and walking away with the Russian for a closed door meeting, then taking him to see Donald Trump at the White House. | While Lavrov toyed with the press, his host, Rex Tillerson, stood by smiling, silent and upstaged outside his seventh floor office before giving the press a little wave and walking away with the Russian for a closed door meeting, then taking him to see Donald Trump at the White House. |
| Later that morning, Lavrov would shrug off the political crisis surrounding the Trump campaign’s contacts with the Russian government during the election, and the US intelligence community’s conclusion that Moscow had sought to skew the vote in Trump’s favour, as mere “fake news” that humiliated the US. | Later that morning, Lavrov would shrug off the political crisis surrounding the Trump campaign’s contacts with the Russian government during the election, and the US intelligence community’s conclusion that Moscow had sought to skew the vote in Trump’s favour, as mere “fake news” that humiliated the US. |
| Read the full piece: | Read the full piece: |
| 8.02pm BST | 8.02pm BST |
| 20:02 | 20:02 |
| Spotlight shines on deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein | Spotlight shines on deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein |
| Lois Beckett | Lois Beckett |
| The man who wrote the memo providing Donald Trump with the rationale he used to fire FBI director James Comey is a career prosecutor with a reputation for being “honorable” and surprisingly nonpartisan – and he has only been working for the Trump administration for two weeks. | The man who wrote the memo providing Donald Trump with the rationale he used to fire FBI director James Comey is a career prosecutor with a reputation for being “honorable” and surprisingly nonpartisan – and he has only been working for the Trump administration for two weeks. |
| Rod Rosenstein, Trump’s deputy attorney general, was confirmed by the Senate in late April with overwhelming support from both Democrats and Republicans. He was praised as a trustworthy choice for a fraught position overseeing the investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election – a role that the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, had to recuse himself from after failing to disclose his meetings with Russia’s ambassador during the campaign. | Rod Rosenstein, Trump’s deputy attorney general, was confirmed by the Senate in late April with overwhelming support from both Democrats and Republicans. He was praised as a trustworthy choice for a fraught position overseeing the investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election – a role that the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, had to recuse himself from after failing to disclose his meetings with Russia’s ambassador during the campaign. |
| Read the full piece: | Read the full piece: |
| 7.33pm BST | 7.33pm BST |
| 19:33 | 19:33 |
| If Comey does testify before the senate next week, it will be in a closed session, according to a spokesman for intelligence committee chairman Richard Burr. | If Comey does testify before the senate next week, it will be in a closed session, according to a spokesman for intelligence committee chairman Richard Burr. |
| That means we wouldn’t get to watch and wouldn’t know what Comey said. | That means we wouldn’t get to watch and wouldn’t know what Comey said. |
| The Senate Intel committee has invited Comey to meet Tuesday in *closed* session, Burr spokesperson Becca Glover Watkins confirms | The Senate Intel committee has invited Comey to meet Tuesday in *closed* session, Burr spokesperson Becca Glover Watkins confirms |
| 7.31pm BST | 7.31pm BST |
| 19:31 | 19:31 |
| Had Comey lost the confidence of the FBI rank-and-file? The White House asserts he had. Reporting suggests he had not. | Had Comey lost the confidence of the FBI rank-and-file? The White House asserts he had. Reporting suggests he had not. |
| White House says they've talked to "countless" FBI agents that had lost faith in Comey. I haven't talked to anyone in the FBI who says that. | White House says they've talked to "countless" FBI agents that had lost faith in Comey. I haven't talked to anyone in the FBI who says that. |
| Read also: FBI agents in tears as news of Comey’s firing spread | Read also: FBI agents in tears as news of Comey’s firing spread |
| 7.15pm BST | 7.15pm BST |
| 19:15 | 19:15 |
| Q: Who’s the next FBI director going to be? | Q: Who’s the next FBI director going to be? |
| 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.” | 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.” |
| 7.14pm BST | 7.14pm BST |
| 19:14 | 19:14 |
| White House: Clinton 'would have fired Comey immediately' | White House: Clinton 'would have fired Comey immediately' |
| Huckabee Sanders is asked whether Comey’s firing won’t make bipartisan comity, and thus legislative scores, more difficult to achieve: | Huckabee Sanders is asked whether Comey’s firing won’t make bipartisan comity, and thus legislative scores, more difficult to achieve: |
| 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. | 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. |
| She adds: “If Hillary Clinton won, and thank God she didn’t, she would have fired Comey immediately.” | She adds: “If Hillary Clinton won, and thank God she didn’t, she would have fired Comey immediately.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.48pm BST | at 7.48pm BST |
| 7.10pm BST | 7.10pm BST |
| 19:10 | 19:10 |
| Huckabee Sanders, on frustration at the decision among the FBI rank-and-file: | Huckabee Sanders, on frustration at the decision among the FBI rank-and-file: |
| 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. | 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. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.48pm BST | at 7.48pm BST |
| 7.09pm BST | 7.09pm BST |
| 19:09 | 19:09 |
| White House: special prosecutor unnecessary | White House: special prosecutor unnecessary |
| Huckabee 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.” | Huckabee 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.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.47pm BST | at 7.47pm BST |
| 7.07pm BST | 7.07pm BST |
| 19:07 | 19:07 |
| Huckabee Sanders, on how Comey was fired (via a letter carried to the FBI by Trump’s personal bodyguard): | Huckabee Sanders, on how Comey was fired (via a letter carried to the FBI by Trump’s personal bodyguard): |
| He followed the proper protocol in that process which is handwritten notification. No matter how you fire someone, it’s never an easy process. | He followed the proper protocol in that process which is handwritten notification. No matter how you fire someone, it’s never an easy process. |
| She says she’s not aware of Trump and Comey having spoken. | She says she’s not aware of Trump and Comey having spoken. |
| On whether Trump was aware of Comey’s request for further resources for the Russia inquiry: | On whether Trump was aware of Comey’s request for further resources for the Russia inquiry: |
| Not that I’m aware of, ask the justice department. | Not that I’m aware of, ask the justice department. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.47pm BST | at 7.47pm BST |