Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) said Wednesday that President Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey because Comey wouldn't tell Trump that he wasn't a target of the FBI investigation into Russia's election interference.

"He fired Comey because Comey would not, among other things, say that he wasn't a target of the investigation," Giuliani, who recently joined Trump's legal team, told Fox News's Sean Hannity.

"He's entitled to that. Hillary Clinton got that and he couldn't get that," Giuliani said. "So he fired him and he said, 'I'm free of this guy.' "

Giuliani's statement contradicts Trump's recent claim that he didn't fire Comey over the Russia probe.

Trump did cite the Russia investigation as part of his reasoning to fire Comey shortly after he did so last year.

"Regardless of recommendation, I was going to fire Comey," Trump said during an interview with "NBC Nightly News" last May, insisting "there was no good time to do it."

"And in fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, 'You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story,' " Trump said.

Trump also stated in his letter informing Comey of his dismissal that the former FBI director had told him he wasn't under investigation.

"While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to lead the bureau," Trump wrote in the letter to Comey.