Senator John McCain said Tuesday evening he was “disappointed” in President Trump’s decision to fire FBI Director James Comey, although he acknowledged Trump has the legal jurisdiction to do so.
“While the President has the legal authority to remove the Director of the FBI, I am disappointed in the President’s decision to remove James Comey from office,” McCain said. “James Comey is a man of honor and has led the FBI well in extraordinary circumstances.”
McCain has repeatedly advocated for an independent investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, which the FBI is currently heading.
After Rep. Devin Nunes revealed that he had information that Trump associates were the subjects of incidental surveillance, McCain said Congress was incapable of handling the matter credibly.
In March, he insinuated that he expected more information to drop about the relationship between Trump and Russia. “I think there’s a lot of shoes to drop from this centipede,” he said at the time. “There’s a lot of aspects with this whole relationship with Russia and Vladimir Putin that requires further scrutiny, and so far I don’t think the American people have gotten all the answers,”
Trump’s decision to fire Comey, the Senator said Tuesday night only”confirms the need and urgency” of an independent committee.
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Write to Alana Abramson at Alana.Abramson@time.com