▁mostly ▁Democr ats , ▁expressed ▁concern ▁over ▁the ▁firing ▁and ▁argued ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁put ▁the ▁integrity ▁of ▁the ▁investigation ▁into ▁je op ard y . ▁ ▁Com ey ' s ▁term ination ▁was ▁immediately ▁controvers ial , ▁even ▁being ▁character ized ▁as ▁cor rupt ▁by ▁news ▁comment ators . ▁It ▁was ▁compared , ▁by ▁the ▁a for ement ioned ▁news ▁out lets , ▁to ▁the ▁Saturday ▁Night ▁Mass acre , ▁President ▁Richard ▁N ixon ' s ▁term ination ▁of ▁special ▁pro sec utor ▁Arch ib ald ▁C ox , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁investig ating ▁the ▁Water gate ▁sc andal , ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁firing ▁of ▁Act ing ▁Att orney ▁General ▁S ally ▁Y ates ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁dismiss al ▁letter ▁Trump ▁stated ▁that ▁Com ey ▁had ▁assert ed ▁“ on ▁three ▁separate ▁occasions ▁that ▁I ▁am ▁not ▁under ▁investigation " ▁which ▁was ▁later ▁confirmed ▁by ▁Com ey ▁to ▁the ▁Senate ▁while ▁under ▁o ath . ▁This ▁is ▁disput ed ▁by ▁reporting ▁from ▁multiple ▁news ▁ag encies ▁with ▁multiple ▁sources . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁reporting , ▁Trump ▁had ▁been ▁open ly ▁talking ▁about ▁firing ▁Mr . ▁Com ey ▁for ▁at ▁least ▁a ▁week ▁before ▁his ▁dismiss al . ▁Trump ▁and ▁Democratic ▁leaders ▁had ▁long ▁question ed ▁Com ey ' s ▁judgment . ▁Moreover , ▁Trump ▁was ▁angry ▁that ▁Com ey ▁would ▁not ▁support ▁his ▁ ▁claim ▁that ▁President ▁Bar ack ▁Ob ama ▁had ▁his ▁campaign ▁offices ▁wire t apped , ▁fr ustr ated ▁when ▁Com