FBI Director James Comey was fired by President Trump. ABC News has a brief statement released by Sean Spicer:

BREAKING: FBI Director James Comey has been fired, White House says. https://t.co/8UupHPDBNs pic.twitter.com/U3Mxx8LY2p

— ABC News (@ABC) May 9, 2017

This decision comes the same day the FBI sent a letter to Congress clarifying some inaccurate comments Comey made about emails found on Anthony Weiner’s laptop during congressional testimony last week. The letter reads in part:

Director Comey spoke of hundreds and thousands of e-mails being forwarded from Ms. Abedin to Mr. Weiner’s laptop computer. This included e-mails transferred via backups as well as manual forwarding. Our investigation determined that Ms. Abedin commonly forwarded emails to others who would print documents for her. Although we do not know the exact numbers, based on its investigation, the FBI believes it is reasonable to conclude that most of the emails found on Mr. Weiner’s laptop computer related to the Clinton investigation occurred as a result of a backup of personal electronic devices, with a small number a result of manual forwarding by Ms. Abedin to Mr. Weiner.

In other words, the FBI Director got the number wrong when he claimed Abedin had forwarded “hundreds and thousands” of emails to Weiner.

Obviously the fact that the FBI Director got the numbers wrong on an issue that connects to the letter he sent out last October, a letter which many progressives still view as having cheated Hillary Clinton out of White House, means there was no way this mistake could be viewed as anything but a major problem. Whether or not that letter really determined the outcome as some Democrats (and Hillary herself) believe is still the subject of debate.

Comey has had a strange ride in Washington. When he was investigating Hillary Clinton’s emails, conservatives hoped he would be the person to finally hold a Clinton responsible for misbehavior. When he announced there would be no charges, progressives praised him and conservatives were furious he had balked. Then when he sent the letter last October and Hillary subsequently lost the election, he became every progressive’s most-hated-man-in-Washington again. In the end, this gaffe proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. It was apparently too much for the Trump administration to take.

Update: Here’s the letter Trump sent Comey (via Allahpundit). Note the second paragraph in which President Trump works in a statement about Comey saying he’s not under investigation.

https://twitter.com/spettypi/status/862061268714348544

Update (Allapundit): Am I hallucinating? The reason deputy AG Rod Rosenstein wanted Comey fired is because … he mishandled the Hillary Clinton email investigation?

Hillary’s getting her revenge — courtesy of Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions? W-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-what?

Newly confirmed DAG Rod Rosenstein lays out the case for firing Comey in memo sent out by the White House https://t.co/K8Zoe0xzVP pic.twitter.com/0MdMjqMCi2

— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) May 9, 2017

Update (Allahpundit): Normally you come up with the reasons before deciding to fire someone, right?

WH and DOJ had been working on firing Comey since at least last week. Sessions had been working to come up with reasons.

— Michael S. Schmidt (@nytmike) May 9, 2017

If the firing offense here was how Comey handled the Clinton investigation, why wasn’t he fired on Inauguration Day?

Update (John): Here we go…Trump fired Comey to undercut the Russia investigation.

My full statement: pic.twitter.com/91zeAqYwLx

— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) May 9, 2017

Here’s Axelrod talking about the “stench of coverup”:

This didn't work out well for Nixon. And it won't for @realDonaldTrump–or the country.

— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) May 9, 2017

WH sending out press coverage of Dem criticism of Comey won't wash away the stench of coverup. This was a disastrous decision.

— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) May 9, 2017

Rosenstein's legit critique of Comey would wash under other circumstances. But can we honestly believe this is why POTUS fired him?

— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) May 9, 2017

And here’s Evan McMullin:

This is a desperate act by a vulnerable, comprised president to avoid accountability. The people's Congress must step up its investigations! https://t.co/N36p68pVPM

— Evan McMullin 🇺🇸 (@EvanMcMullin) May 9, 2017

Trump will likely delay replacing Comey or appoint a loyalist to fatally impair the FBI investigation, the likely purpose of this dismissal.

— Evan McMullin 🇺🇸 (@EvanMcMullin) May 9, 2017

Chuck Schumer also declaring this is starting to look like a cover-up:

First Pres Trump fired Sally Yates, then Preet Bharara. Now #Comey. Doesn't seem like an accident. We must have a special prosecutor.

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) May 9, 2017

One more:

NEW: Fmr sr FBI official: "I believe the intent here is to replace (Comey) with someone who will close" the Russia probe. @KenDilanianNBC

— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) May 9, 2017

Update (John): So this seems like a strange way to do things:

Comey learned of firing as he addressed FBI employees in LA. TV screens in background flashed news of firing. Letter was then given to FBI.

— Michael S. Schmidt (@nytmike) May 9, 2017

And more Nixon comparisons:

The last president to do something like this was Richard Nixon. It didn't end well…

— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) May 9, 2017

Here’s one from Adam Schiff:

Firing of Comey tainted by extraordinary conflict of interest. Independent prosecutor must be appointed to restore any public confidence. pic.twitter.com/m5fSJ3LpiG

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) May 9, 2017