WE HAVE COMPLETE COVERAGE ON ALL OF THIS.
LET'S GO TO PETER ALEXANDER AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> Reporter: GOOD MORNING. TO BE CLEAR, THIS WAS A SHOCKING
MOVE. THE SHOCK WAVES REVERBERATING.
PRESIDENT TRUMP FIRING JAMES COMEY, WHO WAS LEADING THE
INVESTIGATION INTO THE POSSIBLE TIES BETWEEN PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
CAMPAIGN AIDES AND THE KREMLIN. THE DECISION THE WHITE HOUSE
SAYS WAS BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF TWO MEN, JEFF
SESSIONS, WHO PLANNED TO RECUSE HIMSELF FROM THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION. HE HAD NO COMMENTS TO REPORTERS.
AND THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL, ONLY TWO WEEKS ON THE JOB.
OVERNIGHT, FIRED FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY, RETURNING TO
WASHINGTON, AFTER HIS DRAMATIC DISMISSAL, BY PRESIDENT TRUMP.
>> THERE'S JAMES. HE'S BECOME MORE FAMOUS THAN ME.
>> Reporter: LESS THAN THREE MONTHS AFTER PUBLICLY EMBRACING
COMEY, THE PRESIDENT WHO BUILT HIS BRAND ON THE CATCHPHRASE,
YOU'RE FIRED, INSISTED HE HAD TO FIRE COMEY TO GET CONFIDENCE IN
THE FBI. THAT LETTER DELIVERED BY THE
LONG-TIME SECURITY HEAD, KEITH SCHILLER.
COMEY IN LOS ANGELES, AT AN EVENT.
LEARNING ABOUT HIS FATE, AS IT FLASHED ON A TV WHEN HE
ADDRESSED EMPLOYEES. COMEY LAUGHED, THINKING IT WAS A
PRANK, BEFORE AIDES PULLED HIM INTO A NEARBY OFFICE.
THE REACTION ON CAPITOL HILL WAS FAST AND FURIOUS.
>> COMEY WAS NOT FIRED BECAUSE OF HILLARY.
COMEY WAS FIRED BECAUSE OF THE RUSSIANS.
ROB ROSENSTEIN DETAILS WHY HE WAS FIRED.
BLASTING COMEY'S HANDLING OF THE CLINTON E-MAIL INVESTIGATION AS
WRONG. AS A RESULT, THE FBI IS UNLIKELY
TO REGAIN PUBLIC AND CONGRESSIONAL TRUST, UNTIL IT
HAS A DIRECTOR WHO UNDERSTANDS THE GRAVITY OF THE MISTAKES.
BUT CANDIDATE TRUMP PRAISED COMEY FOR THE CLINTON PROBE.
>> WHAT HE DID, HE BROUGHT BACK HIS REPUTATION.
HE BROUGHT IT BACK. I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I RESPECT
THE FACT THAT DIRECTOR COMEY WAS ABLE TO COME BACK AFTER WHAT HE
DID. AND IT TOOK GUTS FOR DIRECTOR
COMEY TO MAKE THE MOVE THAT HE MADE.
>> Reporter: THE WHITE HOUSE NOW PUSHING BACK ON THOSE PREVIOUS
COMMENTS. >> THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A
CAMPAIGN FROM SIX MONTHS AGO. THIS HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH
THE PERFORMANCE THE FBI DIRECTOR SINCE THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN IN
THE WHITE HOUSE. >> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT'S
LETTER CLAIMS THE FBI DIRECTOR INFORMED HIM ON THREE SEPARATE
TIMES HE WAS NOT UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR RUSSIA.
SEAN SPICER DEFENDING THE DECISION.
>> THIS IS A DECISION THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHARED BY MOST
DEMOCRATS. SENATORS CHUCK SCHUMER, LEADER
NANCY PELOSI. ALL TALKED ABOUT HOW THE
DIRECTOR HAD LOST THEIR CONFIDENCE TO LEAD THE FBI.
>> Reporter: INSTEAD, THE TOP DEMOCRATS ARE DEMANDING ANSWERS
ON RUSSIA. >> IF AN INDEPENDENT PROSECUTOR
IS APPOINTED, THERE'S SOME FAITH WE CAN GET TO THE BOTTOM OF
THIS. IF NOT, EVERYONE WILL SUSPECT
COVER-UP. >> Reporter: PRESIDENT TRUMP
FIRING BOX, SAYING I DON'T HAVE CONFIDENCE IN COMEY ANY LONGER.
SOME DEMOCRATS ARE CRITICAL, TOO.
RICHARD BURR, THE CHAIR OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE.
HE CALLED COMEY'S DISMISSING A LOSS FOR THE BUREAU AND THE
NATION. A SENIOR AIDE SAYING IT'S TIME
TO MOVE ON FROM THE RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED, THE PRESIDENT TODAY, JUST A SINGLE
EVENT ON HIS PUBLIC SCHEDULE, A MEETING IN THE OVAL OFFICE, WITH
SERGEI