Donald Trump faces backlash from politicians and celebrities after firing FBI director James Comey who was investigating his links to Russia

The move stunned Washington and raised eyebrows and concerns that the White House was trying to blunt the FBI probe into Trump's ties with Russia

ByNatalie Evans

Donald Trump sparked a political storm on Tuesday after taking the extraordinary step of firing the Director of the FBI .
James Comey was dismissed while in the middle of an investigation into the Trump administration's ties to Russia.
The President claimed he fired Comey, the top US law enforcement official, over his handling of an election-year email scandal involving Hillary Clinton .
The move stunned Washington and raised concerns among Democrats and others that the White House was trying to blunt the FBI probe involving Russia.

Trump fired Comey on Tuesday (Photo: Getty)

James Comey was leading a probe into Trump's ties with Russia (Photo: Rex Features)

Trump's move was likened to the 'Saturday Night Massacre' of 1973, in which President Richard Nixon fired an independent special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal.
White House officials denied allegations that there was any political motive in the move by Trump, who took office on January 20.
But Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he spoke to Trump and told him he was "making a very big mistake" in firing Comey, adding the president did not "really answer" in response.

Charles Schumer told Trump his decision was wrong (Photo: Rex Features)

An independent investigation into Moscow's role in the election "is now the only way to go to restore the American people’s faith," Schumer said.
He added that Trump's decision to fire Comey in the midst of the Russia investigation "does not seem to be a coincidence".
Mark Warner, Democratic Senator for Virginia said Comey's firing "doesn't pass any smell test".

He added: "It's outrageous. I mean, I thought I could no longer be surprised by this administration.
"Cancel that, I'm I'm shocked by what the president did. I'm shocked as well by the idea that the deputy attorney general put his name to a letter that doesn't pass any smell test, somehow blaming Comey for his actions during the Clinton investigation as the reason for firing.
"That doesn't pass any smell test. And it means more than ever that this investigation which I'm the vice chairman of has to follow the facts.
"Because short of a special prosecutor, I really question whether this Justice Department will do what Director Comey was in the process of doing."
Hollywood was also skeptical of Trump's motives and quick to react to the news.

Culled from Mirror