But White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a press briefing on Wednesday that the letter Trump received Tuesday from Rosenstein and Sessions outlining "the basic atrocities" Comey committed "in circumventing the chain of command of the Department of Justice" persuaded him to fire the director.
The speculation is unfolding even as Washington continues to grapple with President Trump's decision to abruptly fire FBI Director James Comey - a move Democrats suspect was created to quash the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the election.
Trump echoed that argument in an NBC interview Thursday - while also insisting he always meant to fire Comey, undercutting the White House explanation that he acted on Rosenstein's advice.
The New York Times reported that Comey was sacked shortly after asking the Justice Department "for a significant increase in money and personnel for the bureau's investigation into Russia's interference in the presidential election". Comey openly expressed his shock at Trump's wire-tapping claims, telling his people in the White House it was "outside the realm of normal", perhaps even "crazy".
Comey avoided a direct answer to the question. He says Comey "enjoyed broad support" within the agency and that he holds Comey in the "absolute highest regard".
"When I did this now I said, 'I probably maybe will confuse people".
Speaking to a crowd of reporters afterwards, Burr said their discussion focused on how to ensure the committee's investigation into Russian election meddling does not conflict with the FBI's own probe into possible ties between Trump associates and Russia.
"There has been no effort to impede our investigation to date".
Trump's characterization was odds with that of the top Republican and Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee. In defending the decision, officials leaned heavily on a memo from Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, criticizing Comey's handling of the Clinton investigation. "Now, while it looks like Donald Trump fired James Comey to stop the Russian investigation".
German exports, imports reach record heights in March
In EUR terms, exports increased by 18% and imports by 21% in March 2017 compared to the same period of the previous year. That was higher than the 0.4 percent forecast by analysts surveyed by data company Factset.
"I can not defend the Director's handling of the conclusion of the investigation of Secretary Clinton's emails, and I do not understand his refusal to accept the almost universal judgement that he was mistaken", Rosenstein wrote.
But according to new testimony from acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, the White House is misrepresenting the truth.
Vermont Democrat Leahy and New Hampshire Democrat Shaheen said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation "should spare no expense in getting to the truth" about Russian interference in the campaign.
"I actually asked him" if I was under investigation, Trump said, noting that he spoke with Comey once over dinner and twice by phone.
"There is supposed to be a line that is not crossed, including asking the FBI if you yourself are the target of the investigation", Moss told VOA.
Sessions consulted with the president and coordinated the firing of James Comey.
A farewell letter from Comey that circulated among friends and colleagues said he does not plan to dwell on the decision to fire him or on "the way it was executed". McCabe sidestepped the question, saying he could not comment on an ongoing investigation. In support of that proposition, he cited comments from five former deputy attorneys general and four former attorneys general of both major political parties (including Eric Holder, who held both offices).
Comey testified in the hearing that he was "authorized by the Department of Justice to confirm" that the FBI was "investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia's efforts".
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