Trump makes first public comments on Comey firing during photo-op with Henry Kissinger
President Trump made his first public comments on the firing of FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday, with former secretary of state Henry Kissinger, who served under Richard Nixon, at his side.
"He wasn't doing a good job," Trump said of Comey to pool reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday. "Very simple. He was not doing a good job."
Trump's photo opportunity comes as politicians and media pundits alike drew parallels between Trump's firing of Comey and a similar happenstance under the Nixon administration.
As investigations into allegations of collusion between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign heat up, many have drawn similarities to Nixon's ordering the removal of special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who was investigating what America now knows as the Watergate scandal.
Trump also met with Russian foreign ambassador Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday to discuss Syria and other foreign policy issues. The meeting was closed to all U.S. media, but Russian photographers from the state-run TASS of Russia were reportedly allowed in and present.
Click through to see images of Trump's photo op with Kissinger and meeting with Russian leaders:
Trump blasted Democrats for their criticism of his decision to remove Comey from his Bureau position, saying they "play so sad" on the FBI head's removal, but will soon thank him for the move.
It is unclear why Kissinger, who also served as assistant to the President for National Security Affairs under both Richard Nixon and Gerald R. Ford, was at the White House with Trump on Wednesday.
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