Admits firing Comey over "this Russia thing" in Lester Holt interview

In a televised interview with NBC's Lester Holt, Trump contradicted his own White House's narrative that Comey was fired on the DOJ's recommendation. He admitted, "I was going to fire him regardless of recommendation," and explicitly linked the decision to the investigation: "And in fact when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, 'You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story.'"

"And in fact when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, 'You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story.'" — NBC News interview with Lester Holt