Donald Trump had lost confidence in FBI Director James Comey, and he had been considering letting him go since the day he was elected US President, a White House representative stated at Wednesday’s press briefing, reported the BBC.

In White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders’s words, Trump had decided to dismiss Comey as he had accepted the recommendation of his Deputy Attorney General to remove the FBI director from his position.

“The President, over the last several months, lost confidence in Director Comey,” noted Sanders. [The DOJ [Department of Justice] lost confidence in Director Comey. Bipartisan members of Congress made it clear that they had lost confidence in Director Comey. And most importantly, the rank and file of the FBI had lost confidence in their director.” 

As per the White House press department representative, Trump, however, has full confidence in FBI Acting Director Andrew McCabe, and he wants for this special service to continue its investigations as usual.

In addition, Sanders denied the accusations by Democratic senators, who were linking Comey’s removal to the ongoing investigation into Trump’s possible ties with Russia.