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| The Latest on Comey: ‘He Was Not Doing a Good Job,’ Trump Says | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| ■ President Trump fired the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, on Tuesday, upending the American law enforcement apparatus. | ■ President Trump fired the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, on Tuesday, upending the American law enforcement apparatus. |
| ■ Days before he was fired, Mr. Comey asked for a significant increase in resources for the inquiry into Russia’s interference in the presidential election, according to three officials. | |
| ■ Political reaction to the firing came swiftly, with calls by Democrats — and some Republicans — for an independent investigator to take over the investigation into Russian election tampering. | |
| ■ Mr. Trump assailed his Democratic critics, accusing them of hypocrisy, and said he had fired Mr. Comey because “he was not doing a good job.” | |
| The White House barred reporters from witnessing President Trump’s meeting on Wednesday morning with Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, an awkwardly timed visit given lingering questions about whether Mr. Trump dismissed his F.B.I. director in part to squelch the investigation into possible ties between his campaign and Moscow. | |
| But Russia’s foreign ministry was quick to fill the vacuum with its own pictures of the meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Lavrov. It posted photographs on its Twitter feed of the two shaking hands, as well as images of the president grinning and gripping hands with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador. | |
| Mr. Kislyak has figured prominently in the furor surrounding the Trump team’s contacts with Moscow. It was conversations between the ambassador and Michael T. Flynn, the president’s former national security adviser, that ultimately led to Mr. Flynn’s ouster in February, ostensibly because he had lied to Vice President Mike Pence about whether the two had discussed United States sanctions on Russia. | |
| On Wednesday, Mr. Trump’s meeting with Mr. Lavrov was listed on his schedule as “Closed Press,” meaning the news media would not have a chance to photograph or otherwise document the session, and no last-minute arrangements were made for such access. | |
| When the pool was assembled unexpectedly, reporters thought they might catch a glimpse. But instead, they were allowed into the Oval Office for a few moments to cover another, previously undisclosed meeting: between Mr. Trump and Henry Kissinger, the Nixon administration secretary of state. | |
| — Julie Hirschfeld Davis | |
| President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, apparently about to play in a hockey game, was asked by a CBS reporter how Mr. Comey’s firing would affect relations between Russia and the United States. | |
| “There will be no effect,” Mr. Putin said. “We have nothing to do with that. President Trump is acting in accordance with his competences and in accordance with his law and Constitution.” | |
| President Trump said on Wednesday that he had fired Mr. Comey “because he was not doing a good job.” | |
| The president made the remarks to reporters during a brief Oval Office photo-op with Mr. Kissinger after Mr. Trump met with Mr. Lavrov. | |
| Mr. Trump’s very brief comments to reporters were in response to a shouted question about his decision to fire Mr. Comey on Tuesday night. | |
| — Michael D. Shear | |
| The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, addressed the Senate on Wednesday morning, largely sticking to the Republican party line and saying that partisan calls for a new investigation should not delay the “considerable work” already being conducted. | The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, addressed the Senate on Wednesday morning, largely sticking to the Republican party line and saying that partisan calls for a new investigation should not delay the “considerable work” already being conducted. |
| Watch his remarks here: | Watch his remarks here: |
| Read more » | |
| Mr. Pence strongly defended Mr. Comey’s firing as sign of Mr. Trump’s solid leadership. | |
| “Because of the president’s decisive action yesterday to restore the confidence and trust of the American people, we have an opportunity for a new beginning with the F.B.I.,” Mr. Pence said. | “Because of the president’s decisive action yesterday to restore the confidence and trust of the American people, we have an opportunity for a new beginning with the F.B.I.,” Mr. Pence said. |
| Mr. Pence was at the Senate on Wednesday, on standby in case he was needed to break a tie vote on a measure related to an oil and gas industry rule that Republicans are trying to repeal. | Mr. Pence was at the Senate on Wednesday, on standby in case he was needed to break a tie vote on a measure related to an oil and gas industry rule that Republicans are trying to repeal. |
| The Republicans turned out to be one vote short of a tie, so Mr. Pence did not get a chance to vote. But as he left, he took questions from reporters about Mr. Comey’s firing. | The Republicans turned out to be one vote short of a tie, so Mr. Pence did not get a chance to vote. But as he left, he took questions from reporters about Mr. Comey’s firing. |
| “This administration is very confident that with the appointment of a new director of the F.B.I., because of the president’s strong leadership we will be able to get this nation’s leading law enforcement agency a fresh start,” he said. | “This administration is very confident that with the appointment of a new director of the F.B.I., because of the president’s strong leadership we will be able to get this nation’s leading law enforcement agency a fresh start,” he said. |
| Mr. Pence also defended the timing of the dismissal, saying that “it was the right decision at the right time.” | Mr. Pence also defended the timing of the dismissal, saying that “it was the right decision at the right time.” |
| Asked by a different group of reporters whether the removal was related to the Russian investigation, Mr. Pence cited the testimony on Monday of the former director of national intelligence, James R. Clapper Jr. “There is no evidence of collusion,” Mr. Pence said. | Asked by a different group of reporters whether the removal was related to the Russian investigation, Mr. Pence cited the testimony on Monday of the former director of national intelligence, James R. Clapper Jr. “There is no evidence of collusion,” Mr. Pence said. |
| — Eric Lipton | — Eric Lipton |
| Mr. Trump defended his decision by accusing Democrats of hypocrisy for criticizing the dismissal of a law enforcement chief they too had assailed. | Mr. Trump defended his decision by accusing Democrats of hypocrisy for criticizing the dismissal of a law enforcement chief they too had assailed. |
| In a series of visceral posts on Twitter, the president said he was justified in dismissing Mr. Comey because Democrats and Republicans had lost faith in the F.B.I. director’s leadership. | In a series of visceral posts on Twitter, the president said he was justified in dismissing Mr. Comey because Democrats and Republicans had lost faith in the F.B.I. director’s leadership. |
| The president went on to highlight Mr. Comey’s “scandals” and suggested that Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, be investigated moments after Mr. Blumenthal appeared on television condemning the president’s action. | The president went on to highlight Mr. Comey’s “scandals” and suggested that Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, be investigated moments after Mr. Blumenthal appeared on television condemning the president’s action. |
| Read more » | Read more » |
| Critics were swift to denounce Mr. Trump’s firing of Mr. Comey as a Nixonian move against the man overseeing a continuing investigation into possible collusion between Trump associates and Russia to sway the election. | Critics were swift to denounce Mr. Trump’s firing of Mr. Comey as a Nixonian move against the man overseeing a continuing investigation into possible collusion between Trump associates and Russia to sway the election. |
| Left-leaning MoveOn.Org planned a protest in front of the White House on Wednesday. | |
| Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein are expected to interview at least four candidates on Wednesday to be “interim” F.B.I. director, a Justice Department official said. The person selected for that role would hold it until Mr. Trump’s eventual nominee for the position is confirmed by the Senate. | Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein are expected to interview at least four candidates on Wednesday to be “interim” F.B.I. director, a Justice Department official said. The person selected for that role would hold it until Mr. Trump’s eventual nominee for the position is confirmed by the Senate. |
| The four potential candidates are William Evanina, the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; Paul Abbate, the assistant director in charge of the F.B.I. Washington field office; Michael Anderson, the special agent in charge of the Chicago field office; and Adam Lee, the special agent in charge of the Richmond, Va., field office. | The four potential candidates are William Evanina, the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; Paul Abbate, the assistant director in charge of the F.B.I. Washington field office; Michael Anderson, the special agent in charge of the Chicago field office; and Adam Lee, the special agent in charge of the Richmond, Va., field office. |
| The official cautioned that that list was not exhaustive. Andrew McCabe, the deputy F.B.I. director who is currently the acting director, is also under consideration for the longer-term interim director role, the official said. | The official cautioned that that list was not exhaustive. Andrew McCabe, the deputy F.B.I. director who is currently the acting director, is also under consideration for the longer-term interim director role, the official said. |
| — Charlie Savage | — Charlie Savage |
| Mr. Lavrov appeared with Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson on Wednesday morning in Washington, in what the State Department hoped would be a controlled setting. | Mr. Lavrov appeared with Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson on Wednesday morning in Washington, in what the State Department hoped would be a controlled setting. |
| After Mr. Tillerson thanked Mr. Lavrov for coming to Washington, the two men began to leave the diplomatic reception room. When a reporter shouted a question about whether Mr. Comey’s dismissal “cast a shadow” on the meeting, Mr. Lavrov, known for a puckish sense of humor, shot back: “Was he fired? You’re kidding! You’re kidding!” | After Mr. Tillerson thanked Mr. Lavrov for coming to Washington, the two men began to leave the diplomatic reception room. When a reporter shouted a question about whether Mr. Comey’s dismissal “cast a shadow” on the meeting, Mr. Lavrov, known for a puckish sense of humor, shot back: “Was he fired? You’re kidding! You’re kidding!” |
| He then turned and followed Mr. Tillerson into his office. | He then turned and followed Mr. Tillerson into his office. |
| Mr. Lavrov met with Mr. Trump a short time later. | Mr. Lavrov met with Mr. Trump a short time later. |
| Read more about the meeting » | Read more about the meeting » |
| These are not happy times at the F.B.I. | These are not happy times at the F.B.I. |
| The mood at country’s premier law enforcement agency had been dark for months, since Mr. Comey sent a letter to Congress on Oct. 28 reviving the investigation into Hillary’s Clinton’s use of a private email server. | The mood at country’s premier law enforcement agency had been dark for months, since Mr. Comey sent a letter to Congress on Oct. 28 reviving the investigation into Hillary’s Clinton’s use of a private email server. |
| Mr. Comey’s decision to make public the examination of possible new evidence plunged him and the bureau into a political firestorm just as agents were trying to shake off Mr. Comey’s much-criticized announcement months earlier that he would not recommend charges in the case. | Mr. Comey’s decision to make public the examination of possible new evidence plunged him and the bureau into a political firestorm just as agents were trying to shake off Mr. Comey’s much-criticized announcement months earlier that he would not recommend charges in the case. |
| On Tuesday, after Mr. Trump fired Mr. Comey, saying he had mishandled the Clinton investigation, the mood was black. | On Tuesday, after Mr. Trump fired Mr. Comey, saying he had mishandled the Clinton investigation, the mood was black. |
| Agents were floored that Mr. Trump would fire the director in the midst of an investigation into whether any of the president’s associates had conspired with Russia to swing the election in favor of Mr. Trump. Some said they were physically sickened. | Agents were floored that Mr. Trump would fire the director in the midst of an investigation into whether any of the president’s associates had conspired with Russia to swing the election in favor of Mr. Trump. Some said they were physically sickened. |
| They saw Mr. Comey as a widely respected director who many agents believed had the bureau’s best interests in mind and had tried his best to guide them through a difficult past year, even if he had misstepped in the Clinton investigation. | They saw Mr. Comey as a widely respected director who many agents believed had the bureau’s best interests in mind and had tried his best to guide them through a difficult past year, even if he had misstepped in the Clinton investigation. |
| — Adam Goldman | — Adam Goldman |