Transcript for The emotional moment James Comey shared with President Obama after the 2016 election

He met with President Obama after the election now he held me back after one of the very last meetings I had with him. After the election and he said but I want to just tell you something generally. I'd point you to be FBI director because of your integrity and your ability. They look mania and he said nothing has happened nothing in the last year's change my view that. And look he wasn't telling me I agree with what you did he wasn't telling you made the right decision he was telling me I know where it came from. I know you're not a partisan hack I know you're trying to do the right thing. And I meant a lot to me and I had not been a political supporter of president Obama's I came to deeply respect him. And his higher loyalty to the values I care a lot about. And I guy almost got emotional in that moment because again I'm a walk around like Bruce Willis in the six cents and have the president United States say. I still respect you for the reasons I did originally. Meant a lot to me that was in Rio in some ways very wrong conversation. You're telling what else to tell him. Yeah I said them. Mr. President for as I said thank you Mr. President it has been a nightmare. I'm just I've just tried to do the right thing he's that I know I know and I said I think my wife and kill me if I didn't take this chance to thank you. And to tell you how much I'm going to miss you. And and also that I told them that I dread the next four years but. In many ways I feel great pressure to Stan. Trying to protect the institution it won't be drowning. By had some sense of the nature and character of the new president of United States and I worry very much that there will be an effort to erode. The independence of the FBI and I worried. Given what I had seen during the campaign that that that effort to remain a part. Might be challenged in an intra administration and I was right but that's are worried about. President Obama has what's the plan. For briefing that material we decided that director call me would meet with. The president elect privately after we briefed the president elect and his team on the general findings so that he could review it. In a more private or sensitive setting with the president elect that was James clapper had President Obama responds that. He didn't say a word. President Obama has a great poker face but he simply turned. So from president bombing he turned slightly to his left looked at me and went like this. And look back at director clapper to kind of gave me a crutch remarks are thought about it double eyebrow raised in say a word. But communicated to me at least than it could be misreading it because I don't know president Obama's eyebrow raises that sort of sympathy. And concern like good luck with that.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.