A GoFundMe fundraiser set up to cover the legal bills of fired former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe raised six figures within just a few hours Thursday, exceeding expectations and prompting the organizers to increase the goal of the campaign from $150,000 to $250,000. As of 7 p.m. Thursday, the fund had raised more than $200,000.

McCabe was fired from the FBI two days before his retirement by Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the recommendation of FBI officials. An upcoming Department of Justice Inspector General report is expected to be critical of him.

But Mr. Trump had long blasted McCabe publicly, largely for his wife's acceptance of donations from a Hillary Clinton ally when Jill McCabe ran for state office in Virginia. Shortly before McCabe's firing, Mr. Trump scoffed at the possibility that McCabe might retire with full benefits.

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"The support for Mr. McCabe has been overwhelming, humbling, and deeply appreciated," the GoFundMe page says. "He and his family continue to deal with the very public and extended humiliation that the administration, and the president personally, have inflicted on them over the past year. Unfortunately, the need for a legal defense fund is a growing reality. Media reports indicate that at a minimum, there are a number of congressional inquiries that he will be required to respond to, as well as the broader Office of the Inspector General (OIG) investigation that is ongoing, and any potential lawsuits he might consider."

After McCabe was fired, at least two dozen fake GoFundMe accounts were established to support McCabe, and a McCabe representative had to flag that they weren't official accounts.

McCabe, who called his firing part of Mr. Trump's "war" on the FBI, authored an op-ed in the Washington Post last week, describing his firing. He said he found out he was fired when a friend called and told him the news on TV.

"Not in my worst nightmares did I ever dream my FBI career would end this way," McCabe wrote.