Ousted FBI Director James Comey thought he had been pranked when reports surfaced that President Donald Trump fired him, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Comey was speaking to FBI employees in Los Angeles when the news broke on a television, the newspaper reported. He then laughed, thinking it was a prank, the Times said.

Comey "stepped into a side office, where he confirmed that he had been fired," the report added.

Trump fired Comey on Tuesday, telling him in a letter "it is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission." In letters released publicly, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein recommended that Comey be fired due to his conduct in the investigation into Hillary Clinton's handling of classified information at the State department.

Several lawmakers questioned the timing of Comey's removal because the FBI is investigating Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election, including any possible links between the Trump campaign and Moscow.