In an Oval Office meeting last week, President Donald Trump reportedly told Russian diplomats that ex-FBI Director James Comey is a "nut job" and that firing him relieved "great pressure," according to The New York Times.

"I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Trump reportedly said. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."

The newspaper cited a document summarizing the meeting. The summary was read to the Times by an American official.

The newspaper notes that press secretary Sean Spicer "did not dispute the account." The White House also did not dispute it when asked subsequently by NBC News.

The White House spokesman said in a statement to CNBC that Comey "created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia."