President Trump's firing of James Comey was so unexpected that the FBI director initially thought it was a joke, sources tell the New York Times. Comey was addressing FBI employees in Los Angeles when news of his firing flashed on a TV screen, insiders say. He said he thought it was a pretty funny prank—but aides then ushered him into another room. Comey, who flew to Washington, DC, Tuesday night instead of attending an FBI recruiting event in Hollywood as scheduled, "was caught flat-footed," a source tells the Los Angeles Times. In other developments:
- The abrupt firing puts the future of the FBI's investigation of the Trump campaign's alleged links to Russia in doubt, with Democrats calling for a special prosecutor to continue the probe, the Wall Street Journal reports. Most Republicans didn't go that far, though Sen. John McCain called for the creation of a special congressional committee.
- The BBC looks at the letter from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein recommending Comey's firing. Rosenstein cites Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, especially his "usurpation" of authority in announcing that the probe would be closed without charges.