Former President Trump is drawing attention after giving an interview in which he admitted to firing ex-FBI Director James Comey and suggested that doing so allowed him to remain in office for four years.
“A lot of people say to me, how you survived is one of the most incredible things,” Trump told Fox News host Mark Levin in an interview that aired Sunday night.
“Don’t forget, I fired Comey. Had I not fired Comey, you might not be talking to me right now about a beautiful book of four years at the White House, and we’ll see about the future. The future is going to be very interesting,” Trump continued.
Trump was appearing on Levin’s show to promote his new book of photos from his time in the White House. But the interview devolved into a series of grievances and boasts about his four years in office.
The former president’s open admission that he fired Comey has garnered particular attention, as critics have argued it would amount to obstruction of justice if Trump removed the FBI director for investigating the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.
Trump fired Comey in May 2017, which led to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller. He has offered varying explanations for why he removed Comey and has at times acknowledged the Russia investigation played a role.
But Sunday’s comments were among his most direct in saying firing the former FBI director may have prevented his removal from office.
Mueller in a 2019 report laid out 10 instances where Trump may have obstructed justice, one of which was Comey’s ouster. Mueller declined to charge Trump at the time because a sitting president cannot be indicted.