President Donald Trump gestures after speaking to members of the media aboard Air Force One before his departure from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Saturday, May 13, 2017. Trump is traveling to Lynchburg,... (Associated Press) 
 
 WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on Sunday described a U.S. government "under assault" after President Donald Trump's controversial decision to fire FBI director James Comey, as lawmakers urged the president to select a new FBI director free of any political stigma. 
 
 "I think, in many ways, our institutions are under assault, both externally -- and that's the big news here, is the Russian interference in our election system," Clapper said. "I think as well our institutions are under assault internally." 
 
 When he was asked, "Internally, from the president?" Clapper said, "Exactly." 
 
 Clapper spoke following Trump's sudden firing of Comey last week, which drew sharp criticism because it came amid the FBI's probe into Russia meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible ties between Russia and the Trump presidential campaign. 
 
 Clapper said America's founding fathers had created three co-equal branches of government with checks and balances, but with Trump as president, that was now "under assault and is eroding." 
 
 Lawmakers from both parties also criticized Trump's actions last week, which included changing explanations from the White House for the firing and an ominous tweet by Trump that warned Comey against leaks to the press because he may have "tapes" of their conversations. The lawmakers urged the president to select a new FBI director without any political background. 
 
 Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said promoting an FBI agent to lead the agency would allow the nation to "reset." He dismissed as less desirable at least two of the 14 candidates under consideration by Trump, former Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, explaining that "these are not normal circumstances." 
 
 Rogers, an ex-FBI agent and former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has drawn the backing of the FBI Agents Association. Cornyn is the No. 2 Republican in the Senate. 
 
 "It's now time to pick somebody who comes from within the ranks, or is of such a reputation who has no political background at all who can go into the job from Day 1," the South Carolina Republican said. Asked whether Rogers or Cornyn would be good choices, Graham flatly said, "no." 
 
 "The president has a chance to clean up the mess he mostly created," Graham said, adding, "I have no evidence the president colluded with the Russians at all, but we don't know all the evidence yet." 
 
 Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the new FBI director should certainly be someone "not of partisan background" with "great experience" and "courage." He left open the possibility that Democrats might try and withdraw support for a new FBI director unless the Justice Department names a special prosecutor. Under rules of the Senate, Republicans could still confirm an FBI director with 51 votes. Republicans hold 52 seats in the chamber to Democrats' 48. 
 
 Less than a week after Trump fired Comey, the administration has interviewed at least eight candidates to be FBI director, and Trump has said a decision could come before he leaves Friday on his first overseas trip as president. 
 
 "I think the process is going to go quickly. Almost all of them are very well-known," Trump said of the candidates before Air Force One took off for Lynchburg, Virginia, where he gave the commencement address at Liberty University. "They've been vetted over their lifetime essentially, but very well-known, highly respected, really talented people. And that's what we want for the FBI." 
 
 Trump abruptly fired Comey on Tuesday and later said Comey was a "showboat" and "grandstander" who was not doing a good job. The firing drew a wave of criticism in large part because the FBI has been investigating whether election meddling by Russia involved people in Trump's presidential campaign, and Trump said in an interview with NBC that the investigation factored into his decision to fire Comey. The changing rationales the White House offered added an element of chaos to the president's action. 
 
 The FBI director serves a 10-year term but can be replaced by the president. 
 
 So far 14 people — lawmakers, attorneys and law enforcement officials among them — have emerged as candidates. Eight met at the Justice Department on Saturday with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his deputy, Rod Rosenstein. 
 
 The first candidate to arrive for interviews was Alice Fisher, a high-ranking Justice Department official in the George W. Bush administration. 
 
 Also interviewed were: 
 
 —Adam Lee, special agent in charge of the FBI's office in Richmond, Virginia. 
 
 — Andrew McCabe, the acting FBI director. 
 
 —Michael J. Garcia, a former prosecutor and associate judge on New York's highest court. 
 
 —Cornyn, a former Texas attorney general. 
 
 —U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson, a Bush appointee who struck down the centerpiece of the Obama administration's health care law in 2010. 
 
 —Frances Townsend, a former Bush homeland security and counterterrorism adviser. 
 
 —Rogers. The FBI Agents Association says it believes his diverse background makes him the best choice. 
 
 Fisher and Townsend were the only women on the list of candidates. The FBI has never had a female director. 
 
 Sessions has faced questions over whether his involvement in Comey's firing violates his pledge to recuse himself from investigations into Russian interference in the election. Some lawmakers have alleged the firing was an effort to stifle that FBI probe. 
 
 Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said Sessions and Rosenstein were involved in the interviews because the FBI director reports to them as attorney general and deputy attorney general. 
 
 Clapper and Schumer made their comments on CNN's "State of the Union"; Graham spoke on NBC's "Meet the Press." 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press writers Sadie Gurman and Darlene Superville contributed to this report. ||||| Washington (CNN) Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Sunday that he thinks US institutions are under assault from President Donald Trump. 
 
 "I think in many ways our institutions are under assault both externally -- and that's the big news here is the Russian interference in our election system -- and I think as well our institutions are under assault internally," Clapper told anchor Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union." 
 
 Pressed if he meant US institutions were under assault internally from the President, Clapper responded, "Exactly." 
 
 Clapper called on the other branches of the federal government to step up in their roles as a check on the executive. 
 
 "The founding fathers, in their genius, created a system of three co-equal branches of government and a built-in system of checks and balances," Clapper said. "I feel as though that is under assault and is eroding." 
 
 Democrats and several Republicans in Congress have publicly mulled pressing the Department of Justice to appoint a special prosecutor or establishing an independent investigative body that could look into allegations of potential collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign in what the US intelligence community says was Moscow's efforts to influence the US election. 
 
 The Senate must confirm a new FBI director once Trump names a candidate; that FBI director will take a lead role in the Russia investigation. 
 
 Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee advocated on "Fox News Sunday" that Trump appoint Judge Merrick Garland to head the FBI. Josh Holmes, a former aide to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, said later on the program that the Republican leader had just called him to say he would support Garland for FBI's top spot. 
 
 Garland was President Barack Obama's pick to replace Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia after Scalia's death last year. If appointed and confirmed as FBI director, Garland's appointment would create a vacancy on the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, which has jurisdiction over the DC area and federal agencies, making it one of the highest legal authorities in the country short of the Supreme Court. 
 
 Can't refute or confirm collusion questions 
 
 Clapper also said Sunday that the President and the White House are wrong to cite Clapper's previous Senate testimony on the questions about alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia as proof that no such collusion exists, emphasizing that no one should portray his comments as "exculpatory" -- something Trump has done repeatedly on Twitter. 
 
 Director Clapper reiterated what everybody, including the fake media already knows- there is "no evidence" of collusion w/ Russia and Trump. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2017 
 
 When James Clapper himself, and virtually everyone else with knowledge of the witch hunt, says there is no collusion, when does it end? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017 
 
 "The bottom line is I don't know if there was collusion, political collusion," Clapper told Tapper. "I don't know of any evidence to it. So I can't refute it, and I can't confirm it." 
 
 Clapper told NBC in March that he didn't know of any evidence that demonstrated collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. At a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing earlier this month, Clapper clarified that statement, saying he was also unaware of the FBI's investigation into the matter until Comey made it public in March. 
 
 At that subcommittee hearing, former acting Attorney General Sally Yates, whom Trump fired in January for refusing to defend his initial temporary ban on visitors from several Muslim-majority countries and suspension of the entry of Syrian refugees, declined to answer the question of whether there was evidence of collusion publicly; in her answer, she also noted that Clapper had been unaware of the FBI investigation. 
 
 Clapper said Sunday that his "standard practice" as the leader of the intelligence community during the Obama administration was to defer to the FBI on any counterintelligence investigations. 
 
 He noted the intelligence community's joint assessment declaring Russia had interfered in the 2016 election did not contain any reporting about political collusion. 
 
 "I did not have any evidence," Clapper said, again noting he was unaware of the executive branch investigation into allegations of collusion. 
 
 Comey and Trump 
 
 On Friday, Trump raised eyebrows by tweeting a warning to Comey, whom he fired unexpectedly on Tuesday, about leaking information to the media, saying he "better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press." 
 
 In his news briefing later that day, White House press secretary Sean Spicer declined repeatedly to explain what the tweet meant or address questions about whether there were recording devices in the Oval Office. 
 
 James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017 
 
 Trump and Comey had a private dinner in the White House on January 27 in which a source close to Comey said the President asked the FBI director to pledge his loyalty, which Comey, who reportedly was taken aback by the request, refused to do. 
 
 The dinner was on the same day that Yates went to the White House to warn the administration about since-ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn's potential vulnerability to Russian blackmail and that Trump issued the executive order restricting travel from several majority-Muslim nations. 
 
 Clapper said Sunday that he spoke with Comey prior to the dinner while at an event at FBI headquarters in Washington. 
 
 "He mentioned to me the invitation he had from the President for dinner," Clapper said. "He was -- my characterization -- uneasy with it both from the standpoint of the optic of compromising his independence and the independence of the FBI." ||||| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Leaders of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee said on Wednesday they had reached an agreement that would allow them to see memos written by former FBI Director James Comey about his meetings with President Donald Trump. 
 
 Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 8, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst 
 
 Comey’s relationship with Trump has been central to ongoing investigations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and whether there was collusion between Trump associates and Moscow. Lawmakers have raised questions about whether Trump fired Comey on May 9 in order to interfere with the Russia probe. 
 
 Russia has denied such assertions. Trump, a Republican, has dismissed them as sour grapes voiced by Democrats disappointed by his victory and called them a “witch hunt.” 
 
 “We have a commitment to get appropriate access to the Comey memos,” Senator Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat, told reporters at the Senate. “I’m pleased. I think it’s critical information that we have to have as part of our review process.” 
 
 He said he expected to have the memos “soon.” 
 
 Warner declined to say much about the progress of the investigation or provide a timeline for when it might be concluded. “I would have thought we would have been further along, but I would never have expected the administration to fire Jim Comey. You can’t make this stuff up,” he said. 
 
 When asked, he said he expected that Trump’s son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner, would appear before the committee as promised despite having recently hired a lawyer. 
 
 Politico first reported that Richard Burr, the committee’s Republican chairman, said the panel would be obtaining memos Comey wrote documenting his conversations with Trump. 
 
 COMEY TESTIMONY 
 
 Comey testified to the intelligence committee this month that he decided to keep detailed records because he felt so uncomfortable after meetings with the president that he feared Trump might lie about them. 
 
 The Russia investigations, by Department of Justice Special Counsel Robert Mueller and congressional committees, have dogged the first months of Trump’s presidency and distracted from his policy goals such as repealing President Barack Obama’s healthcare law. 
 
 Trump has also faced criticism from fellow Republicans as well as Democrats over his administration’s failure to do more to investigate charges that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. election and concerns that it might do so again. 
 
 “Russia’s our most dangerous adversary in the world today, and if he continues to refuse to act, it’s a dereliction of the basic duty to defend the country,” Nicholas Burns, an undersecretary of state under Republican President George W. Bush, testified to the Senate panel on Wednesday. 
 
 At a hearing last week that focused on the U.S. election, a Homeland Security official testified that Russian hackers targeted 21 U.S. state election systems in the 2016 presidential race and that a small number were breached. 
 
 Slideshow (2 Images) 
 
 Warner said the panel had asked officials in 21 states to release information about the hacking. “I do not see how Americans are made safer when they do not know which state elections systems Russia tried to hack,” he said. 
 
 The probes have at times come up against Republican concerns about leaks of classified information and unproven assertions by Trump and others that Obama’s administration improperly spied on Trump associates. 
 
 On Wednesday, Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Lindsey Graham asked the FBI and Justice Department for copies of applications to the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for permission to conduct surveillance related to the election, including any related to the FBI’s ongoing Russia investigation. ||||| FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2015 file photo, FBI Director James Comey prepares to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Donald Trump abruptly fired Comey May 9, 2017, dramatically ousting the nation's... (Associated Press) 
 
 WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and FBI Director James Comey's firing (all times local): 
 
 12:25 p.m. 
 
 Three U.S. officials say fired FBI Director James Comey told lawmakers that he asked the Justice Department for more money for the bureau's investigation into Russia's election meddling. 
 
 President Donald Trump fired Comey Tuesday. 
 
 The officials say Comey told lawmakers he had made the request to Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general. 
 
 The Justice Department is denying that Comey asked for more resources. 
 
 The White House has wielded a critical memo from Rosenstein to justify President Donald Trump's decision to fire Comey on Tuesday. Rosenstein's memo focused only on Comey's handling of last year's investigation into Democrat Hillary Clinton's email practices. It does not mention the Russia investigation. 
 
 The officials were not authorized to disclose the meetings publicly and insisted on anonymity. 
 
 -By Julie Pace and Eileen Sullivan 
 
 __ 
 
 12:10 p.m. 
 
 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (SEHR'-gay LAHV'-rahf) says it is "humiliating" for the American people to hear that Russia is controlling the political situation in the U.S. 
 
 Lavrov is speaking at the Russian Embassy in Washington after meetings with President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. He said Wednesday that politicians raising questions about Russian interference in the election are damaging the U.S. political system by suggesting that it is being controlled externally. 
 
 Lavrov is brushing off the questions as "noise" about Russians' contacts with people in Trump's campaign. He says through a translator that "there is not a single fact" or piece of compelling evidence proving Russia's intervention in the election. 
 
 Lavrov is pointing out that Trump dismisses the controversy as "false news." 
 
 ___ 
 
 11:45 a.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump says ousted FBI Director James Comey "was not doing a good job." It was Trump's first public remarks about his firing Tuesday of the FBI chief. 
 
 Trump briefly spoke to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday after a closed meeting with Russia's foreign minister. His remarks come as the White House is defending the decision to dismiss Comey. Administration officials have said the firing was not related to the investigation into possible contacts between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia. 
 
 Trump was joined by Henry Kissinger, former secretary of state and national security adviser under President Richard Nixon. 
 
 __ 
 
 11:20 a.m. 
 
 The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee says there's no need for a special prosecutor to investigate Russia's ties to the Trump campaign in the wake of the firing of the FBI director. 
 
 GOP Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina says his committee has the jurisdiction and responsibility to continue its Russia investigation and "we are going to do that." 
 
 However Burr reiterated questions about President Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey. "The timing of this and the reasoning for it doesn't make sense to me." 
 
 And, Burr said that the firing "made our task a little more difficult but it didn't make it impossible so we'll continue." 
 
 Burr said he spoke to Trump but wouldn't detail the exchange. He said they didn't discuss his committee's investigation 
 
 __ 
 
 11:12 a.m. 
 
 Vice President Mike Pence is defending the firing of FBI Director James Comey, saying the "president made the right decision at the right time." He said Comey's firing was not related to the investigation into possible contacts between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia. 
 
 Pence says the administration is now looking forward to finding someone to lead the law enforcement agency. 
 
 President Donald Trump fired Comey on Tuesday. Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, criticized Comey's handling of the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's email practices. 
 
 Pence says Comey had lost the confidence of the American people. He says Trump took "strong and decisive leadership" to put the safety and security of the American people first. 
 
 __ 
 
 11:05 a.m. 
 
 The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee says President Donald Trump told her that he was firing FBI Director James Comey because "the department is a mess." 
 
 California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said she was surprised and taken aback after Trump called her and other senators to deliver the news shortly before the White House announced Comey's dismissal Tuesday. 
 
 Feinstein says she questions the reasoning and timing behind Trump's decision and asked the GOP-led committee to bring in Justice Department officials to explain it. 
 
 She said what "sticks in her mind" is a classified briefing Comey delivered in March in which he laid out counterintelligence and criminal investigations the FBI is conducting into Russian interference in the 2016 elections. 
 
 She said it's clear "the FBI was taking its job seriously." 
 
 __ 
 
 10:45 a.m. 
 
 The Senate's Russia investigators are asking the Treasury Department's criminal investigation division for any information relevant to President Donald Trump, his top aides and campaign officials. 
 
 Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, told CNN that the request is part of the panel's effort to "follow the intel no matter where it leads." Warner's office confirmed the senator's comments. 
 
 The Senate intelligence committee is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible ties between Trump associates and the Russian government. 
 
 The House intelligence committee is conducting a parallel investigation. 
 
 ___ 
 
 10:25 a.m. 
 
 Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Russia is not concerned about Comey's firing. 
 
 When asked how Comey's sacking could influence Russia-U.S. ties, Peskov told reporters in Moscow on Wednesday: "This is the U.S. president's sovereign decision which does not have anything to do with Russia and should not have anything to do with Russia." 
 
 Russian state television network Rossiya 24 referred to President Richard Nixon's firing of independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox during the Watergate scandal. It said that "the story with Comey is different." Comey, it said, "played a good cop and fell into a trap he had set for himself." 
 
 Senior Russian lawmaker Alexei Pushkov tweeted that Comey "kept an eye on the 'Russian threat' so hard that he did not notice the threat of his own sacking." 
 
 Another senior lawmaker, Konstantin Kosachev, rejected suggestions that Comey's sacking could have a Russian link. "The 'Russian trail' is hardly there and definitely could not have been the underlying cause for the firing of such a prominent player on the Washington scene," Kosachev told the Interfax news agency. "Because this trail is merely a tool in the domestic political game and Trump's stakes are more than just about the Russia issue." 
 
 __ 
 
 10:20 a.m. 
 
 A Justice Department official says Attorney General Jeff Sessions is interviewing candidates to serve as the interim replacement for fired FBI Director James Comey. 
 
 Comey's deputy, FBI veteran Andrew McCabe, has become acting director after Comey was fired by President Donald Trump. 
 
 But a Justice Department official says senior leaders are interviewing additional candidates who could do the job until a permanent replacement for Comey is named and confirmed by the Senate. 
 
 An announcement about Comey's interim successor could come as soon as Wednesday. 
 
 The official wasn't authorized to discuss the selection process by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. 
 
 ___ 
 
 10 a.m. 
 
 Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is asking that Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his deputy appear before the Senate to answer questions about the circumstances surrounding President Donald Trump's decision to fire FBI Director James Comey. 
 
 The New York Democrat said Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein should discuss why Sessions participated in the decision to fire Comey despite recusing himself and whether Rosenstein acted on his own when recommending Comey's dismissal or whether he was order to do so by the White House. 
 
 Schumer also repeated his call for a special counsel to investigate ties between Trump's campaign and the Russian government. 
 
 He also said the administration should answer why the president didn't wait until the Justice Department's inspector general issued a report on Comey's much-criticized actions regarding the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server. 
 
 ___ 
 
 9:50 a.m. 
 
 Amid Democratic calls for a special prosecutor, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says a new investigation of Russia meddling could only serve to impede the current probes underway. 
 
 McConnell spoke on the Senate floor as Democratic senators gathered to try to pressure the GOP over President Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey. 
 
 McConnell didn't give his own view on Trump's decision to fire Comey. But he noted that Democrats had repeatedly criticized Comey in the past, and had called for his removal. 
 
 Following McConnell on the floor, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for a special prosecutor. 
 
 But McConnell said: "Today we'll no doubt hear calls for a new investigation which could only serve to impede the current work being done." 
 
 The Senate and House intelligence committees are investigating Russian meddling in the presidential election and Russian ties to the Trump campaign. 
 
 ___ 
 
 9:40 a.m. 
 
 Sen. Lindsey Graham says he doesn't believe a special prosecutor should be considered unless the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's possible connections to Russia becomes a criminal matter. 
 
 It's now a counterintelligence investigation. 
 
 The South Carolina Republican says if it becomes "a criminal investigation where the Trump campaign may be exposed to criminal charges, then that's the time to have that conversation." 
 
 Graham says he's confident the FBI's investigation won't be hampered by President Donald Trump's firing of the bureau's director, James Comey. 
 
 ___ 
 
 9:30 a.m. 
 
 Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman says Moscow isn't concerned about the firing of the FBI director. 
 
 Dmitry Peskov says Russia hopes that President Donald Trump's decision to fire the FBI's James Comey won't affect U.S.-Russia ties "in any way." 
 
 Peskov calls it "an entirely domestic matter" for the United States. 
 
 ___ 
 
 9:10 a.m. 
 
 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is reacting sarcastically to questions about President Donald Trump's firing of former FBI Director James Comey. 
 
 Lavrov and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson were asked during a photo-op whether Comey's firing cast a shadow over the meeting between the two diplomats. 
 
 Lavrov said: "Was he fired? You're kidding. You're kidding." Then the Russian diplomat waved his hand dismissively and exited the room alongside Tillerson. 
 
 The meeting comes amid growing concerns about Trump's decision to fire the head of the law enforcement agency investigating Russian interference in the U.S. election and possible collusion by Trump's campaign. 
 
 Lavrov is scheduled to meet later Wednesday with Trump at the White House. 
 
 __ 
 
 8:50 a.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump is attacking Sen. Richard Blumenthal for criticizing his firing of FBI Director James Comey. 
 
 The Connecticut Democrat appeared on MSNBC and CNN Wednesday morning. On CNN, Blumenthal said that the firing had prompted a "looming constitutional crisis." 
 
 Trump tweeted Wednesday that he was watching Blumenthal speak, calling it a "joke." He criticized Blumenthal for past statements that he served in Vietnam, saying he "would talk of his great bravery and conquests in Vietnam - except he was never there." 
 
 Trump said that Blumenthal "cried like a baby" when caught and that he should be investigated. 
 
 Trump has previously attacked Blumenthal over statements that he served in Vietnam. Blumenthal was in the Marine Corps Reserves at the time but did not fight in Vietnam. 
 
 __ 
 
 7:40 a.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump says that Republicans and Democrats will soon "be thanking me" for firing FBI Director James Comey. 
 
 Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning that Comey had "lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike." He added: "when things calm down, they will be thanking me!" 
 
 Trump abruptly fired Comey Tuesday night. The surprise decision came amid the law enforcement agency's investigation into whether Trump's presidential campaign was connected to Russian meddling in the election. 
 
 __ 
 
 7:24 a.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump says fired FBI Director James Comey "will be replaced by someone who will do a far better job, bringing back the spirit and prestige of the FBI." 
 
 In an early-morning tweet Wednesday, Trump attacked Democrats critical of his firing of Comey. 
 
 Trump said that Democrats "have said some of the worst things about James Comey, including the fact that he should be fired, but now they play so sad!" 
 
 Trump abruptly fired Comey in the midst of the law enforcement agency's investigation into whether Trump's presidential campaign was connected to Russian meddling in the election. 
 
 ___ 
 
 4:40 a.m. 
 
 Amid the clamor surrounding the firing of FBI Director James Comey, President Donald Trump singled out one another Washington fixture for his scorn. 
 
 The president went to his Twitter account late Tuesday to chide Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a fellow New Yorker, for comments the Democrat made about the stunning dismissal. 
 
 Trump had telephoned Schumer earlier to inform him of the decision. Schumer said he told Trump that "you are making a big mistake." Schumer also questioned why the firing occurred on Tuesday and wondered whether investigations into the Trump campaign's possible ties to Russia were "getting too close for the president." He said unless a special prosecutor is named, Americans could rightfully wonder whether the move was "part of a cover-up." 
 
 Trump fired back with a tweet exclaiming: "Cryin' Chuck Schumer stated recently, 'I do not have confidence in him (James Comey) any longer.' Then acts so indignant." 
 
 ___ 
 
 3:35 a.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump's stunning firing of FBI Director James Comey throws into question the future of a counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign's possible connections to Russia. It immediately raised suspicions of an underhanded effort to stymie a probe that has shadowed the administration from the outset. 
 
 Democrats likened the firing to President Richard Nixon's "Saturday Night Massacre" and renewed calls for the appointment of a special prosecutor, and some Republicans also questioned the move. 
 
 In his letter to Comey, Trump said the firing was necessary to restore "public trust and confidence" in the FBI. The administration paired the letter with a scathing review by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein of how Comey handled the investigation into Democrat Hillary Clinton's email practices, including his decision to hold a news conference announcing its findings and releasing "derogatory information" about Clinton. 
 
 __ 
 
 11:05 p.m. 
 
 FBI Director James Comey was speaking to agents at the FBI's field office in Los Angeles when the news of his firing broke. 
 
 That's according to a law enforcement official who was present at the time Tuesday. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to discuss the situation publicly. 
 
 The official says television screens in the field office began flashing the news, and Comey initially chuckled. But he continued to speak to the agents, finishing his speech before heading into an office. He did not reappear in the main room. 
 
 Comey later left Los Angeles on a plane to return to Washington. 
 
 —By Michael Balsamo in Los Angeles
– The former director of national intelligence minced no words Sunday in describing "our institutions" as being "under assault, both externally—and that's the big news here, is the Russian interference in our election system," Clapper told CNN in addressing James Comey's firing as he investigated that interference. "I think as well our institutions are under assault internally." Asked, "Internally, from the president?" Clapper said, "Exactly." He continued: "The founding fathers, in their genius, created a system of three co-equal branches of government and a built-in system of checks and balances. I feel as though that is under assault and is eroding." There was lots more Comey reaction on the Sunday dial, via the AP: Chuck Schumer: Wants a new FBI director "not of partisan background" with "great experience" and "courage." He also said Democrats should refuse to confirm a new director until a special investigator into Russian meddling had been appointed, per CNN. Lindsey Graham: "It's now time to pick somebody (to run the FBI) who comes from within the ranks, or is of such a reputation who has no political background at all who can go into the job from Day 1." Mark Warner: "I think Jim Comey deserves his chance to lay out to the American public his side of the facts," Warner said, per the Hill. "We would love to have Director Comey appear in an open hearing." Further, "how he was treated was pretty awful by this president."