Mueller Has Early Draft of Trump Letter Giving Reasons for Firing Comey
Mr. Rosenstein’s letter was ultimately used as the Trump administration’s public rationale for Mr. Comey’s firing, which was
that Mr. Comey had mishandled the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server.
WASHINGTON — The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has obtained a letter drafted by President Trump and a top political aide
that offered an unvarnished view of Mr. Trump’s thinking in the days before the president fired the F. B.I.
Mr. McGahn successfully blocked the president from sending the letter — which Mr. Trump had
composed with Stephen Miller, one of the president’s top political advisers — to Mr. Comey.
The circumstances and reasons for the firing are believed to be a significant element of Mr. Mueller’s
investigation, which includes whether Mr. Trump obstructed justice by firing Mr. Comey.
Mr. McGahn met again that same day with Mr. Trump and told him that if he fired Mr. Comey, the Russia investigation would not go away.
Several people who saw Mr. Miller’s multi-page draft described it as a “screed.”
Mr. Trump was back in Washington on Monday, May 8, when copies of the letter were handed out
in the Oval Office to senior officials, including Mr. McGahn and Vice President Mike Pence.
Instead, Mr. Trump stewed indoors, worrying about Mr. Comey and the Russia investigation.
Mr. Trump was angry that Mr. Comey had privately told him three times that he was not under investigation, yet would not clear his name publicly.
