In excerpts from “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership” published by Axios, Comey writes that he wondered if there was something more “complicated” to Trump’s relationship with Putin and Russia.

“I had often wondered why, when given numerous opportunities to condemn the Russian government’s invasions of its neighbors and repression — even murder — of its own citizens, Trump refused to just state the plain facts,” Comey writes.

“Maybe it was a contrarian streak or maybe it was something more complicated that explained his constant equivocation and apologies for Vladimir Putin,” he added.