Trump defends Comey firing, says both parties will thank him

She said Trump became concerned about Comey's efforts to work outside the Justice Department's chain of command during the Clinton investigation, citing congressional testimony from last week that provided more details of his actions previous year. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a top Democrat on the committee, told reporters it's "extremely important that Comey come to an open hearing in the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence as quickly as possible and testify as to the status of the U.S. -Russia investigation at the time of his firing". The White House has cited a memo from Rosenstein, in which he criticizes Comey's handling of last year's investigation into Democrat Hillary Clinton's email practices.

Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska in a statement: "Regardless of how you think Director Comey handled the unprecedented complexities of the 2016 election cycle, the timing of this firing is very troubling". On Oct. 23, Trump tweeted out an article in the Wall Street Journal about McCabe's wife, Jill, who in 2015 ran for state Senate in Virginia.

The investigation has shadowed Trump from the outset of his presidency, though he's denied any ties to Russian Federation or knowledge of campaign coordination with Moscow. "Very simply. He was not doing a good job".

"He was not doing a good job", Trump said Wednesday when asked why he fired Comey.

Comey reportedly asked the Justice Department for more resources for the probe into Russia's involvement with the Trump campaign days before he was sacked.

Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday emphasized that the recommendation to fire Comey came from the deputy attorney general and said Trump acted with leadership and in "the best interest of the American people", a message that echoed among other members of Trump's campaign.

Sen. John McCain of Arizona to reporters: "There will be more shoes to drop". Trump has ridiculed the investigations as "a hoax" and denied any campaign involvement with the Russians.

An independent investigation into Moscow's role in the election "is now the only way to go to restore the American people's faith", Schumer said. She said the president continued to oppose appointing a special prosecutor to oversee the investigation. And what questions are left unanswered at this point?

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell dismissed that call Wednesday morning-as he has in the past. Comey's firing gives them far more ammunition to do so, as does Republicans' own growing fragmentation on the issue.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said that president needed the time to investigate Mr Flynn and establish his guilt, but the scandal prompted fierce speculation over what the president knew of Mr Flynn's contacts with Mr Kislyak.

A White House statement said Ms Yates had "betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order created to protect the citizens of the United States". Comey's deputy, Federal Bureau of Investigation veteran Andrew McCabe, became acting director after Comey was sacked.