Why did Trump fire FBI director James Comey?
In front of a senate committee, FBI director James Comey testified last week that he defended his decision to tell Congress about new developments in the Hillary Clinton email investigation just days before the U.S. election.
"It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election. But honestly, it wouldn't change the decision. Tell me what you would do? Would you speak or would you conceal?" Comey told the committee.
But he kept silent about a probe into possible contact between Russia and Donald Trump's campaign.
Related: FBI's James Comey defends timing of Clinton email announcement
Now in an unanticipated announcement from the White House, Comey has been fired from his role as FBI director — effective immediately.
James Comey will be replaced by someone who will do a far better job, bringing back the spirit and prestige of the FBI.
—@realDonaldTrump
"It's very hard to believe that that's really the reason underlying why Trump decided to sack Comey," Hosenball tells The Current's Anna Maria Tremonti.
Hosenball says there's speculation the real reason behind the move to let Comey go is based on his pivotal role in the investigation into the Trump campaign's possible connections with Russia.
"I would say that the firing of Comey is going to further disrupt and delay any results if there's any substance of this [investigation]."
The Russia-Trump collusion story is a total hoax, when will this taxpayer funded charade end?
—@realDonaldTrumpHosenball suggests that firing Comey "could backfire very nastily on the Trump administration."
"It could even license Comey to go out and start criticizing Trump more aggressively — although I should think he'd probably be very careful about disclosing classified information, but he could certainly voice his opinion very strongly if he feels that he was badly wronged," he tells Tremonti.
"And I don't think that would reflect very well on Trump."
Listen to to the full segment at the top of this web post.
This segment was produced by The Current's Karin Marley.