--- title: James Comey Fired: Read President Trump's Dismissal Letter description: President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey Tuesday evening, dismissing the former bureau chief in a letter addressed him directly canonical: https://time.com/4773237/donald-trump-letter-james-comey-fired/ author: Aric Jenkins article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-05-09T22:16:23.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-06-24T06:56:47.804Z article:section: Politics og:title: Read President Trump's Letter Firing James Comey og:description: "It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI" og:url: https://time.com/4773237/donald-trump-letter-james-comey-fired/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3ec230eca84909e3/6988bf2bbc6cfc83133e094c/gettyimages-6556765061.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Congress Holds Hearing on Russian Election Interference and Connections to Trump Campaign og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Read President Trump's Letter Firing James Comey twitter:description: "It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3ec230eca84909e3/6988bf2bbc6cfc83133e094c/gettyimages-6556765061.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Read President Trump's Letter Firing James Comey > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f81c7ab5-f5f2-4cb4-9dec-efd8c9a8278b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 430,000 | 50.7% | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | 240,000 | 54.1% | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 40,000 | 31.7% | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | 85,000 | 37.0% | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | 40,000 | 34.2% | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | 25,000 | 28.6% | Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 | | Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f81c7ab5-f5f2-4cb4-9dec-efd8c9a8278b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=f81c7ab5-f5f2-4cb4-9dec-efd8c9a8278b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: This Video Is No Longer Available [Watch (HLS stream): This Video Is No Longer Available](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fKodeUO6.m3u8) (0:10)  _Published 2026-06-23. "It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI"_ by [Aric Jenkins](https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/) ## Aric Jenkins May 9, 2017 10:16 PM UTC by [Aric Jenkins](https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/) ## Aric Jenkins May 9, 2017 10:16 PM UTC President Donald Trump [fired FBI Director James Comey](http://time.com/4773210/donald-trump-fires-fbi-director-james-comey/) Tuesday evening, dismissing the former bureau chief in a letter addressing him directly. “I have received the attached letters from the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General of the United States recommending your dismissal as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” the President wrote to Comey. “I have accepted their recommendation and you are hereby terminated and removed from office, effective immediately. “While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgement of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau,” Trump added. “It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission.” You can read Trump’s letter to Comey below: [White House Statement on James Comey](https://www.scribd.com/document/347867953/White-House-Statement-on-James-Comey#from%5Fembed) by [Katie Reilly](https://www.scribd.com/user/75333768/Katie-Reilly#from%5Fembed) on Scribd Comey’s firing came not long after the FBI told the Senate Judiciary committee that Comey had [misspoken during his testimony about Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin](http://time.com/4772480/huma-abedin-anthony-weiner-james-comey-hillary-clinton/) forwarding thousands of emails to her husband, former Congressman Anthony Weiner. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4773237/donald-trump-letter-james-comey-fired/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4773237/donald-trump-letter-james-comey-fired/"},"headline":"Read President Trump's Letter Firing James Comey","datePublished":"2017-05-09T22:16:23.000Z","dateModified":"2026-06-24T06:56:47.804Z","description":"\"It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI\"","url":"https://time.com/4773237/donald-trump-letter-james-comey-fired/","keywords":["White House","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3ec230eca84909e3/6988bf2bbc6cfc83133e094c/gettyimages-6556765061.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Aric Jenkins","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3ec230eca84909e3/6988bf2bbc6cfc83133e094c/gettyimages-6556765061.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Congress Holds Hearing on Russian Election Interference and Connections to Trump Campaign","caption":"Congress Holds Hearing on Russian Election Interference and Connections to Trump Campaign","creditText":"Anadolu Agency—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/white-house/","name":"White House"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4773237/donald-trump-letter-james-comey-fired/","name":"Read President Trump's Letter Firing James Comey"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"This Video Is No Longer Available","description":"\"It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI\"","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/fKodeUO6/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2026-06-23T15:00:44.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fKodeUO6.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4773237/donald-trump-letter-james-comey-fired/","duration":"PT10S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4773237/donald-trump-letter-james-comey-fired/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```