Sarah Huckabee Sanders May 11 2017 01
WH: Comey firing may hasten Russia probe's end
00:50 - Source: CNN

Story highlights

Trump fired Comey on Tuesday

The turmoil surrounding Comey's dismissal has frustrated the President

Washington CNN  — 

Days after his abrupt dismissal of FBI Director James Comey, President Donald Trump’s attempts to triage the fallout only plunged the episode further into confusion.

Conflicting accounts of how and why the firing happened ricocheted across Washington Thursday, each seeming to push the decision closer to Comey’s oversight of an investigation into Russian election meddling.

Trump himself linked the decision to the Russia probe in an interview. His spokeswoman suggested Comey’s dismissal could hasten the inquiry.

The turmoil surrounding Comey’s dismissal has frustrated the President and his senior-most aides, according to people familiar with the situation. All have expressed anger that the decision to fire Comey wasn’t properly executed and created a sharp backlash. The topic has all but consumed the West Wing, where Trump remains holed up Friday, his seventh straight day without a public event.