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William brangham begins with where we are now and how we got here. Very simply. He wasnt doing a good job. Very simply. He was not doing a good job. Brangham that was it. President trumps verdict, this morning in the oval office over his firing of f. B. I. Director james comey the president s termination letter to comey yesterday said the move was necessary to restore public trust in the agency. An attachment from the Deputy Attorney general, rod rosenstein, faulted comeys handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. White house spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee sanders gave more detail today and frankly he had been considering letting director comey go since the day he was elected. I think that director comey has shown over the last several months and frankly the last year a lot of missteps and mistakes. Brangham in a tweet this morning, the president said comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in washington, republican and democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me but little was calm on the other end of pennsylvania avenue today. Vice president mike pence was on capitol hill, and offered a longer defense of the president s decision President Trump provided the kind of strong and decisive leadership the American People come to be accustomed from him. And he took the action necessary to remove director comey. This was the right decision at the right time. Brangham meanwhile, senators faced nonstop questions about what comeys firing means for the ongoing probes into russias meddling in the election, and whether the Trump Campaign colluded in that meddling. Democrats said the firing would lead americans to suspect a coverup and they repeated calls for a special prosecutor. But Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell said that would be counterproductive. Today, well no doubt hear calls for a new investigation, which could only serve to impede the current work being done to not only discover what the russians may have done. Also to let this body and the National Security community develop countermeasures and brangham minority leader Chuck Schumer questioned mr. Trumps timing why did it happen last night . We know director comey was leading an investigation in whether the Trump Campaign colluded with the russians, a serious offense. Were those investigations getting too close to home for the president . Brangham schumer later laid out democratic demands that rosenstein not be the one to appoint a special counsel. The day was filled with a drumbeat of opinions on what should, and should not, happen next. The timing and the reasons for the decision made little sense to me. Brangham republican richard burr of North Carolina heads the Senate Intelligence committee, which has asked comey to testify next week. Im not in favor in favor of a special prosecutor because i think that the committee can carry out its responsibility, brangham but democrat Richard Blumenthal of connecticut said a special counsel was crucial i will vote against any confirmation of an f. B. I. Director unless there is support for a special prosecutor brangham this of course isnt the first time that partisan furor over james comey and his running of the f. B. I. Has flared up. Over the last year, both democrats and republicans have, a one time or another, demanded his dismissal or come to his defense. The first major controversy came last year, at the height of the president ial campaign. On july 5th, comey took the unusual step of speaking publicly about the results of the f. B. I. s clinton email investigation. While scolding clinton for being extremely careless, with her use of a private server, comey said the f. B. I. Was not recommending criminal charges. Our judgment is that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case. Brangham republicans on the hill were outraged. Thencandidate trump accused comey of going easy on his democratic rival. Happened today where eventually i thought, everybody thought, based on what was being said, she was guilty she was guilty and it turned out that were not going to press charges. Its really amazing. Brangham but comey was soon again in the spotlight. On october 28, just 11 days before the election, comey announced hed reopened the clinton investigation after the discovery of possibly new emails. In a letter to congress, he wrote although the f. B. I. Cannot yet assess whether or not this material may be significant. I believe it is important to update your committees about our efforts in light of my previous testimony. On the campaign trail, candidate trump seized on the letter, and cheered comeys move. It took a lot of guts. I really disagreed with him. I was not his fan. But ill tell you what he did, he brought back his reputation. Brangham but days later, when comey said the f. B. I. s conclusions had not changed, mr. Trump lashed out, accusing comey of protecting clinton once again. For her part, clinton, just days after losing the election, said comeys letter was one of the reasons she was not president. Meanwhile, nowpresident elect trump seemed to embrace comey, saying he had no intention of replacing him at the f. B. I. , and then welcoming comey at the white house soon after the inauguration. Hes become more famous than me. Brangham but comey was soon once again in the hot seat over the bureaus separate investigation into russian meddling in the election, and what role trump officals may have played in that process. A central target of the investigation, was thenNational Security adviser michael flynn. He was fired in midfebruary for misleading the Vice President about his contacts with the Russian Ambassador during the transition. Attorney general Jeff Sessions, was at the time heading the nvestigation into russian ties until it surfaced that he had not revealed his own meetings with russian officials during the campaign, forcing him to recuse himself from the probes. Taking charge the new Deputy Attorney general, rod rosenstein, who wrote the memo recommending comeys dismissal. Pressed by democrats at his confirmation hearing to commit to appointing a special counsel in the investigation, rosenstein refused, calling it a matter of principle. I would evaluate the facts and law and then exercise my best judgment. Brangham then, on march 20, comey confirmed an f. B. I. Counterintelligence investigation of the trump white house, and former Campaign Staffers ties to russia. That includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump Campaign and the russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and russias efforts. Brangham when comey appeared before the Senate JudiciaryCommittee Last week, the questioning inevitably returned to his fateful decision to reopen the clinton email investigation days before the election. Look this was terrible. It makes me mildly nauseous to think that we have had some impact on the election. But honestly, it wouldnt change the decision. Brangham the president who lauded comey when he was investigating clinton has also attacked the f. B. I. For its russia investigation. On monday, the day before he fired comey, President Trump tweeted, the russiatrump collusion story is a total hoax, when will this taxpayer funded charade end . The president met today with Russian Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov at the white house, joined by the same Russian Ambassador whose friendliness with the trump team led to flynns firing and sessions recusal. Afterward, lavrov brushed off questions of russian active measures in last years election. translated well there is not a single fact, there is no compelling evidence given to anyone regarding russias intervention and thats it. Brangham how the probe unfolds, in part, will be up to comeys successor attorney general sessions and his deputy began interviewing candidates for interim f. B. I. Chief today. Woodruff we turn now for the latest at the white house and on capitol hill with our own john yang and Lisa Desjardins. John, let me start with you. Its been about 24 hours exactly since this decision came down. What have you learned in the interim about where this all started, what was the genesis of it . Well, white house officials describe it increasingly angry and frustrated president newscast couple of weeks, angry and frustrated that comey was appearing before congress, talking about the f. B. I. Investigation into possible russian collusion with the Trump Campaign during the election last year, but not offering any new details. The president felt that there was nothing there, there, and it was time for it to be over. But according to Deputy Principal assistant secretary sorry, Principal Deputy press secretary sarah sanders, the president did not ask for the rationale to fire comey on monday when he met with attorney general Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney general rod rosenstein. She says that the two Justice Department officials are the ones who brought up their exwrnz comeys performance. And as a result of that, the president asked rosenstein to put it in writing, to get a memo, and when he got that memo on tuesday, he acted quickly, and decided to fire comey. But he held that decision so closely, that there was no plan to roll out the announcement. There was no plan to explain the announcement afterward. It was, in the words of one official i talked to today total and utter chaos. And i should say he added, even by our standards. The result was this firestorm last night, which they say they did not expect. They thought democrats would welcome the firing of comey after the criticism of what he did with the clinton emails. But, of course, that was a miscalculation on their part. Today, sanders said that the president intended to meet with the acting f. B. I. Director, andrew mccabe. This would be the second meeting in 24 hours. And offer to go to the f. B. I. To talk to f. B. I. Agents at headquarters to try to boost moral. Woodruff so, fascinating. And, lisa, meantime, on capitol hill, some of the reaction has been explosive from democrats, republicans have had a mix of reaction. But lets start with the democrats. What are they saying . Thats right, glowft saying things but doing things today. Democrats, first of all, are continuing their call for a special counsel in this case. Theyre raising that call, and in fact, today, judy, they froze Committee Hearings in order to try to make their point. They can only do that today. But democrats are trying to get across the idea that they are willing to use every procedural means they have to try and force a special counsel. Now, they rawls saying that they think not only is attorney general Jeff Sessions someone who should not be involved in the special counsel decision, but also the Deputy Attorney general, rod rosenstein, the man were talking about so much. They say he now seems to be biased because of the letter that he wrote. They want him to not be involved in this. They want a civil servant, someone who is not politically appointed, to be in charge of that special counsel decision. A lot of developments. Dianne feinstein told me she felt that rosensteins letter was just a series of quotes about james comey, that it did not give legal arguments. She also raised a concern co conconfirmed to me other and reporters she knows james comey was hoping to expand this investigation and that he had made that known in the past week or so. Woodruff, lisa, very quickly, what are republicans saying . Republicans are a mix bag, as you say, judy. Many of them are supportive in general of the idea that james comey was a good public servant. Theyve known him for years but their biggest talking point was they think they have faith in the f. B. I. There are some who say the timing was a problem, like ron johnson. There are others lik who say the considering what to do, and there are others like john mccain who say they are very concerned about every aspect of this. Woodruff all right Lisa Desjardins at the capitol, john yang at the white house. Both of you continuing tow follow this story. Thank you, both. Inside the f. B. I. , morale among agents had taken a beating months before last nights firing of director james comey. We take a look at how agents have been responding and what it means for the bureaus work Going Forward with matt apuzzo, he has been covering all this closely for the New York Times. Matt, so what is your reporting telling you what about preceded this blockbuster announcement yesterday . Well, as you heard from lisa, the big news in terms of the investigation was that in the days before his firing, jim comey was talking to the Justice Department about expanding the investigation by get something more prosecutors involved, more resources, and the person he was speaking with was rod rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney general. That is coming from dick durbin from democratic leadership who said that is calling into question the motives of the question for firing jim comey at a time when it appeared that comey was really trying to step up the investigation. Woodruff well, i want to ask you about that, because there is reporting today that director comey had gone to his superiors, i guess to the attorney general in recent days, asking to expand the russia investigation, asking for more resources. What you have learned about that . Well, you know, the Justice Department is flatley denying that, even though members of congress are saying comey actually briefed them on this as part of his routine briefings on the status of the counterintelligence investigations earlier this week. The Justice Department is saying, no, they didnt get a request for more resources. Members of congress are saying they were they were specifically briefed by comey that he wanted to expand the investigation and was asking for more prosecutors. So, i mean, look, we dont know at this point. Is that is that what led to jim comeys firing . Was it was it the Russian Investigation . Was it a general sense that comey was never going to be a trump guy, frankly, like he really wasnt an obama guy. For a president who puts a real premium on loyalty, was jim comey just too much of a, you know, an independent wild card for this administration . This was a lot of things were still trying to get a handle on, because as your reporters said earlier, a lot of this just doesnt line up. A lot of the stated reasoning for why they wanted to fire jim comey just doesnt totally line up. Woodruff what is your reporting telling you, matt apuzzo, about the sense inside the Justice Department, inside the f. B. I. , about whether this russia investigation can go forward in an independent way, in a way that people will find credible . Well, i think that the sense that the f. B. I. Is we move forward. The acting director, andrew mccabe, is a career f. B. I. Agent. You know, there would be no reason for him to put the brakes on the russia investigation, you know, just because jim comey was fired. I think the concern among the agents is not where things are today and, frankly, the concern isnt that the a new director is going or that the Justice Department is going to put the brakes on and just shut down the russia investigation. But what the Justice Department can do, if it wants to, is it can just throw up a lot of hurdles and roadblocks and make it difficult for f. B. I. Agents to investigate russia. And thats really the concern. But in general, i think theres theres the mood is down at the f. B. I. Right now. Comey was a wellliked manager. Even agents who disagreed with some of the decisions he made in the clinton case, regarded him as professional and well intentioned, and a strong leader. This is probably most public and strong f. B. I. Director the bureau has had since j. Edgar hoover. So theres clearly a sense of loss at the f. B. I. Today. Woodruff and i quickly want to press you on that, because at the white house today they were saying, no, that jim comey had lost the confidence of much of the employees at the f. B. I. , at the bureau. Yeah, they didnt really elaborate on that. Look, i know there are people at the f. B. I. Who disagreed with the decisions that jim comey made. There are 17,000 f. B. I. Agents. Are there some who had lost