Calls for special prosecutor after Trump sacks FBI director – as it happened

Speaking of Trump praising Comey, this is from October ...

As the interview continues, Conway brings up criticism of Comey by the Democrats:

“What happened to all the Democrats who had no confidence in Comey when it was politically expedient for them?” she asks.

When Cooper asks about Trump’s previous praise for Comey, Conway ducks the questio and responds that “as president of the US [Trump] needs confidence in the director of the FBI and he doesn’t have it.”

She goes on to quote from the Rosenstein letter and says: “this has nothing to do with the campaign six months ago ... it has everything to do with whether the current FBI director has the president’s confidence.”

Conway says Trump’s removal of Comey is solely about “restoring public confidence in the FBI”.

Cooper is talking about how this is actually destroying confidence in the Russia investigations.

Conway replies: “Today’s actions had zero to do with that.”

In scenes strangely reminiscent of the OJ Simpson chase, Fox News has sent a helicopter to film Comey’s car as it travels along an LA freeway.

CNN has been musing on how exactly Comey will return to DC.

They say Comey flew out to meet FBI staff on a special, secure, plane which has a hotline to the president and other security features. Now he has been relieved of his position how will he get home?

“Does he come back on that plane, does he have to fly commercial. We don’t know,” says Evan Perez, justice correspondent.

Trump’s controversial move has found *some* support from Republicans.

Senator Susan Collins released a statement says suggestions that the firing of Comey was related to the FBI’s investigation of Russian attempts to influence the 2016 election were “misplaced”.

The President did not fire the entire FBI; he fired the director. I have every confidence that the FBI will continue to pursue its investigation. In addition, I am certain that the Senate Intelligence Committee, on which I serve, will continue its own bipartisan investigation and will follow the evidence wherever it leads. I hope that the next FBI Director will have the same kind of integrity, intelligence, and determination that Mr. Comey exhibited, but perhaps better judgment on when it is appropriate to comment publicly on the results of an investigation.”

Fox News is drawing attention to the fact that Bill Clinton also fired an FBI director.

Clinton did indeed sack Sessions in 1993 on the basis of an ethics investigation into his conduct carried out under George HW Bush into alleged abuse of office. However, Julian Borger explained in January that any move by Trump to dismiss Comey while the president’s associates were under investigation would be highly controversial and akin to Richard Nixon’s dismissal of special prosecutor Archibald Cox in 1973.

Seems this is not quite going according to the administration’s plan ...

Timing!

CNN says the deputy director is now acting director of the bureau while Jeff Sessions reviews potential candidates to take Comey’s place.