FBI/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump weighed in publicly for the first time on his firing of James Comey, saying on Wednesday [5-10-17] that the FBI director ‘wasn’t doing a good job.’
His comments were part of an effort by the White House to explain and elaborate on the reason the president abruptly fired Mr. Comey on Tuesday, a move that has prompted the president’s critics to claim he is seeking to interfere in a probe Mr. Comey was leading into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.
Democrats on Wednesday called for the appointment of a special prosecutor in that investigation, and in protest sought to slow the workings of Congress, while some senior Republicans also expressed unease with the timing of the action.
After an evening when the White House communications apparatus appeared caught off guard, officials gave more details into the President’s rationale and the timeline of events.
But the explanations offered by officials at times didn’t emphasize the same triggers that set off a decision that has rocked Washington.”
-Michael C. Bender and Rebecca Balhaus, “Donald Trump Seeks to Mute Outcry from Firing of James Comey,” The Wall Street Journal online, May 10, 2017 11:39pm