Report: Trump Told Russians Firing Of Comey Eased Pressure On Him
WASHINGTON (AP/KDKA) - The New York Times is reporting that President Donald Trump told Russian diplomats that firing the "nut job" FBI director had relieved "great pressure" on him.
The newspaper cites the White House's official written account of the Oval Office meeting. It says one official had read quotations to the Times and another had confirmed the broad outlines of the discussion.
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Friday's report quotes Trump calling ousted FBI Director James Comey "crazy" and "a real nut job." It says the president then told Russia's foreign minister and ambassador that he "faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."
White House press secretary Sean Spicer did not dispute the account.
In a statement, Spicer said that Mr. Comey had put unnecessary pressure on the president's ability to conduct diplomacy with Russia on matters such as Syria, Ukraine and the Islamic State.
Trump met with the Russians on May 10, the day after he fired Comey.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
