In his letter firing James B. Comey as FBI director, President Trump included a very pointed reference to the bureau’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

“While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau,” Trump wrote.

That Trump chose to make that point explicitly in what he clearly knew would be a very public letter is no accident. Trump reportedly pressured the director of national intelligence and the head of the National Security Agency to push back publicly on reports about the FBI’s investigation into any links between Russia and his campaign. That investigation was repeatedly disparaged by Trump on Twitter, as well.