Donald Trump contradicts WH story on Comey firing in interview with Lester Holt [video]

NBC just broke into its regular programming to release a brief clip of Lester Holt’s interview with President Trump that will air in full this evening.

On the firing of FBI Director James Comey:

HUGE: Trump asked Comey: "I said, 'If it's possible wld u let me know am I under investigation?' He said, 'You're not under investigation.'"

— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) May 11, 2017

NBC NEWS: Trump says he asked Comey if he was under investigation and Comey said no; “I actually asked him, yes.”

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) May 11, 2017

President Trump calls Comey "showboat" and "grandstander" in interview with @LesterHoltNBC.

— Ali Vitali (@alivitali) May 11, 2017

Regardless of recommendation, I was going to fire Comey, President Trump tells @LesterHoltNBC.

— Ali Vitali (@alivitali) May 11, 2017

This last highlight could be a problem for the president as it contradicts the official version of events from the White House:

Trump's statement he "was going to fire regardless of recommendation" contradicts every on-the-record statement from WH aides in past 2 days

— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) May 11, 2017

That Trump says he would've fired Comey regardless of Rosenstein's recommendation contradicts the WH story from Tuesday night.

— Ali Vitali (@alivitali) May 11, 2017

NBC breaking in: Lester Holt interview w/ Trump contradicting his own letter, saying he planned to fire Comey before talking to Rosenstein.

— ????é? ??????á? (@moiseschiu) May 11, 2017

And this makes Vice President Pence look bad, too:

So where did Pence get his version of the story from? https://t.co/KJWEQQx6pd

— Ben Pershing (@benpershing) May 11, 2017

.@VP said 7 times yesterday during presser on the hill that @POTUS fired Comey b/c of "recommendation of deputy attorney general."

— Elizabeth Landers (@ElizLanders) May 11, 2017

Watch:

BREAKING: I was going to fire Comey anyway, Pres. Trump tells @LesterHoltNBC in exclusive interview at White House https://t.co/MAmo1PE1RL

— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) May 11, 2017

Editor’s note: An additional tweet was added to this post.