Trump says firing 'rotten apple' Comey was 'a great service' to the US

Thomson Reuters

File photos of Donald Trump and James Comey.

• President Donald Trump responded to a tweet by former FBI Director James Comey's saying Trump's attacks on the FBI will do "lasting damage" to the US.
• Trump called him a "rotten apple" and celebrating firing him last year.
• Comey tweeted on Wednesday to defend the FBI after Trump accused the bureau of spying on his campaign.
• Trump has accused Comey of having a bias against his campaign and taking steps to protect the Clintons in the past.

President Donald Trump responded to former FBI Director James Comey's tweet saying Trump's attacks on the FBI will do "lasting damage" to the US by calling him a "rotten apple" and celebrating the fact that he got fired.

Comey's tweet, in response to accusations from Trump that the FBI under Comey spied on his campaign, said: "Attacks on the FBI and lying about its work will do lasting damage to our country. How will Republicans explain this to their grandchildren?".

Asked to respond to the tweet on FOX News Channel's "FOX & Friends", Trump said: "How is he going to explain to his grandchildren all of the lies, the deceit, all of the problems he has caused for this country?"

Trump has accused Comey of having a bias against his campaign and taking steps to protect the Clintons in the past.

He said: "I think of the things that I've done for the country, the firing of James Comey is going to go down as a very good thing."

"The FBI is a fantastic institution, but some of the people at the top were rotten apples. James Comey was one of them. I've done a great service for this country by getting rid of him, by firing him."

Trump's firing of Comey has spawned an investigation into whether he obstructed justice by removing the head of the FBI as it investigated his campaign.