Changing narrative behind Comey firing

It’s been two days since President Donald Trump fired James Comey from his position as FBI Director. Since then, the narrative behind the termination has changed on a few subjects.

TIPPING POINT FOR TERMINATION

On Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence said, “President Trump made the right decision at the right time to accept the recommendation of the deputy attorney general and the attorney general to ask for the termination of the director of the FBI.”

White House leaders made a similar point ten times: the tipping point was the President following recommendations from Justice Department leaders.

“Frankly, when the President gets a recommendation from someone like that who is so well-respected, he has no choice, but to listen to him,” Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the deputy press secretary, said.

President Trump, however, told a different story in an interview with NBC News on Thursday.

“I was going to fire Comey,” the president told Lester Holt. “I was going to fire him regardless of the recommendation.”

On Thursday, the deputy press secretary explained the changing narrative by saying, “I did not ask the question directly: ‘Had you already made that decision?’ I went off the information I already had.”

SCOPE OF RUSSIA INVESTIGATION

There are also conflicting statements between the White House and those of the acting director of the FBI, including the scope of the investigation into Russia’s involvement in the election.

“That’s probably one of the smallest things they’ve got going on their plate,” said the deputy press secretary for the White House on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Andrew McCabe, the acting director of the FBI, characterized the investigation differently in testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

“We consider it to be a highly significant investigation,” McCabe said.

SUPPORT OF COMEY BY “RANK AND FILE” FBI AGENTS

On Wednesday, the deputy press secretary for the White House said, “Director Comey had lost confidence of the rank and file within the FBI.”

On Thursday, McCabe said, “I can tell you also that Director Comey enjoyed broad support within the FBI and still does to this day.”