Trump makes first public comments on firing Comey: 'He wasn't doing a good job'

REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueFollowing his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, U.S. President Donald Trump sits in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., May 10, 2017.President Donald Trump has spoken out about his controversial decision to fire FBI Director James Comey.

He told reporters in the Oval Office that Comey was "not doing a good job."

"He wasn't doing a good job," Trump said. "Very simply. He was not doing a good job."

Reporters also asked whether Comey's firing would affect his meetings Wednesday with Russian officials, to which Trump responded "no." Trump didn't respond when asked whether the next FBI director would be in charge of the probe into whether Trump associates colluded with Russians to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Trump made the comments during a surprise Oval Office meeting with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Trump fired Comey on Tuesday on the recommendation of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Rosenstein said in a memo that the FBI's reputation and credibility had "suffered substantial damage" after Comey "usurp[ed] the Attorney General's authority" and announced that an investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails should be closed without prosecution.

NOW WATCH: Watch as Democrats break out in song as the AHCA passes the House

Please enable Javascript to watch this video