Comey slams the Trump administration for choosing to 'defame me and more importantly, the FBI'

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.