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Former FBI Director James Comey slammed the Trump administration during his Senate testimony on Thursday, claiming "the administration … chose to defame me and more importantly, the FBI."

Comey had begun his testimony by explaining his confusion over the circumstances of his firing. "It confused me when I saw on television the president saying that he actually fired me because of the Russia investigation and learned again from the media that he was telling privately other parties that my firing had relieved great pressure on the Russia investigation," Comey said. He added that the public explanation — that he was released due to decisions he made during the presidential campaign, including regarding the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails — also didn't make sense.

Comey said that while no explanation was technically needed for his firing, the administration then chose to defame the FBI, claiming it was in disarray. "Those were lies," Comey said. Watch below. Jeva Lange