WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump appears to have contradicted himself regarding his reasoning for firing former FBI Director James Comey.
In a post on Twitter on Wednesday, Trump claimed firing Comey was unrelated to the investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
'Slippery James Comey, the worst FBI Director in history, was not fired because of the phony Russia investigation where, by the way, there was NO COLLUSION (except by the Dems)!' Trump tweeted.
Trump's tweet is in line with the initial explanation provided by the White House, which attributed Comey's firing to a recommendation by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
However, Trump later told NBC News' Lester Holt he was going to fire Comey regardless of Rosenstein's recommendation and mentioned 'this Russia thing.'
'When I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, 'You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story, it's an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won,' Trump said last May.
The tweet from Trump comes as Comey has been highly critical of the president during a media blitz in support of his new book titled 'A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership.'
In an interview on ABC's 20/20 that aired on Sunday, Comey claimed Trump is 'morally unfit to be president' and treats women like 'they're pieces of meat.'
Trump has struck back at Comey in numerous posts on Twitter, calling the former FBI chief a 'proven LEAKER & LIAR' and an 'untruthful slime ball.'
(Photo: Michael Vadon)
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