President Trump remains in the spotlight after firing FBI Director, James B. Comey on Tuesday, May 9th. Comey is only the second director to be fired in bureau history, after former president Bill Clinton fired William S. Sessions in 1993.

The White House released a formal statement about the issue, saying that Trump “Acted based on the clear recommendations” of the attorney general and deputy attorney general. In an interview two days later, the president said that he was going to fire Comey “regardless of recommendation.”

Much like any action Mr. Trump takes, the firing is sparking great controversy among the American people. This is due to the fact that the president terminated the top official leading a criminal investigation into whether Mr. Trump’s advisers colluded with the Russian government to steer the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

The president explained the firing to the general public by citing Comey’s handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server. In a letter to Mr. Comey dated May 9th, Trump addressed the situation by saying: “While I greatly appreciate you informing me on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the bureau.”

Only a week prior to these events taking place, White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, stated that “The president has confidence in the director.” Considering all of the presented facts, one can determine for themselves whether Comey’s dismissal was spontaneous or not.

Before forming an opinion, however, let’s take a look at what is known by the public thus far:

-The White House said on May 10th that Trump had an “erosion of confidence” in FBI Director James Comey over the last “several months.”
-Mr. Trump “saw an opening” to fire Comey after the testimony, said Reince Priebus, the White House Chief of Staff.
-Comey had been investigating potential links between members of the Trump campaign and Russia and the Kremlin’s alleged interference in the 2016 election.
-The firing has caused mixed reactions from both Republicans and Democrats alike.
Robert Mueller, former FBI Director, was recently named Special Counsel for Russia Investigation.