Hillary Clinton has a 'mixed mind' about President Donald Trump's decision to fire the man she believed cost her the election – ex-FBI Director James Comey, it was learned on Saturday.

A close associate who spoke to the former Democratic Party nominee after news of Comey's firing sparked controversy said that while there are no tears being shed for the former FBI chief, 'taking him out of his job at this point only reinforces the point that he was on to something

,' The New York Times is reporting on Saturday.

Ironically, one of the reasons originally cited by Trump and his aides for Comey's dismissal was his decision to publicly divulge details last year of the FBI's investigation into Clinton's private email server.

Initially, Trump and his aides said that the decision to remove Comey was based on a recommendation from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who wrote a memo critical of Comey's conduct during the Clinton email investigation.

Hillary Clinton (left) reportedly has a 'mixed mind' about President Donald Trump's decision to fire the man she believed cost her the election – ex-FBI Director James Comey (right)

Clinton's associates have accused Trump (seen above on Fox News during an interview that will air on Saturday)

Aides to Clinton, however, dismiss that suggestion. They believe the president's decision to fire Trump had nothing to do with Clinton and everything to do with his campaign's alleged ties to the Russian government.

In an interview with NBC News on Thursday, Trump contradicted his White House aides, saying that he would have fired Comey regardless of what Rosenstein said.

But on Friday, Trump went back to blaming Comey's handling of the Clinton email scandal as the reason for his firing – after allowing Thursday that the FBI's Russia investigation also was a factor.

Once again grousing about Democrats, who he termed 'hypocrites,' Trump said they 'should have liked' Comey for having recommended not to prosecute her, giving her what he called a 'free pass.'

'Trump firing Comey shows how frightened the Admin is over Russia investigation,' Clinton's former running mate Senator Tim Kaine tweeted

Brian Fallon, Clinton's former press secretary tweeted: 'I'm not shedding any tears for Comey personally - he hurt FBI's reputation - but I do worry whether we ever get to the bottom of Russia now'

Former Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook tweeted: 'Twilight zone. I was as disappointed and frustrated as anyone at how the email investigation was handled. But this terrifies me'

Former Clinton campaign spokesperson Glen Caplin tweeted: 'I am no Comey fan, but POTUS firing FBI Director conducting investigation into campaign is indefensible. Need independent investigation ASAP'

In fact, many Democrats, including Clinton, fumed about Comey for castigating the presidential candidate in his July press conference, then reopening an investigation following the emergence of newly discovered Clinton emails.

Trump said: 'They should have liked him. But because he did what he did for her was unbelievable, with all of the guilty, guilty, guilty, I mean, because – but she's not guilty.'

Former aides to Clinton said no one in the former secretary of state's orbit is celebrating Comey's demise.

'There is no one I have encountered in Clintonworld who views this as a positive development,' Jennifer Palmieri, the campaign's former communications director, told the Times.

'When I heard the news, my first thought was, 'They must be getting close'.'

'Trump firing Comey shows how frightened the Admin is over Russia investigation,' Clinton's former running mate Senator Tim Kaine tweeted.

'Comey firing recommended by Sessions. I thought he had recused himself from Russia investigation!'

Comey said that his agents had uncovered thousands of new emails that it had not yet reviewed in its Clinton investigation, because they ended up on the laptop of disgraced ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner (right), the husband of longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin (left)

Brian Fallon, Clinton's former press secretary tweeted: 'I'm not shedding any tears for Comey personally - he hurt FBI's reputation - but I do worry whether we ever get to the bottom of Russia now'.

Former Clinton campaign spokesperson Glen Caplin tweeted: 'I am no Comey fan, but POTUS firing FBI Director conducting investigation into campaign is indefensible. Need independent investigation ASAP'.

Clinton email timeline March 2015: Becomes publicly known that Hillary Clinton, during her tenure as United States Secretary of State, had used her family's private email server for official communications and FBI opened investigation. May 2016: The State Department's Office of the Inspector General released an 83-page report about the State Department's email practices, including Clinton's. July 2016: FBI director James Comey announces the bureau's investigation had concluded that Clinton was 'extremely careless' in handling her email system but recommended that no charges be filed against her. Two days later the State Department reopenes its probe into the email controversy. October 2016: Eleven days before the election, Comey notifies Congress the FBI is reopening the case due to emails found on laptop linked to Clinton aide Huma Abedin's husband, Anthony Weiner, November 2016: Comey notifies Congress the conclusion is unchanged. May 2017: Comey 'misspeaks' in Senate testimony, exaggerating email details. Advertisement

Former Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook tweeted: 'Twilight zone. I was as disappointed and frustrated as anyone at how the email investigation was handled. But this terrifies me.'

'I was as frustrated, concerned and disappointed as anyone with Director Comey's handling of the email investigation, but President Trump just fired the man investigating how Russia meddled in our election and whether members of his campaign were involved, an investigation President Trump called 'charade' only 24 hours ago,' Mook said in a statement reported by CNN.

'It's equally concerning that our attorney general, who lied about his own meetings with the Russians, approved Director Comey's firing,' he added.

However, Clinton herself has not made a comment about Comey's firing. She has only said 'no comment' through an aide.

In his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, Comey said he had no choice but to go public with his intention to re-examine the Clinton email case just 10 days before the election. I could not see a door labelled 'No action here,' Comey responded.

'Speak would be really bad. There's an election in 11 days. Lordy that would be really bad,' he said, laying out his mindset at the time.

'Concealing in my view would be catastrophic.'

Comey said that his agents had uncovered thousands of new emails that it had not yet reviewed in its Clinton investigation, because they ended up on the laptop of disgraced ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner, the husband of longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin.

He then notified Congress in a letter, which was then released to the public.

The news generated headlines and Clinton and her supporters believe that it swayed just enough undecided voters in key swing states and cost her the election to Trump.

Describing his own angst over the situation, Comey shared: 'Look this is terrible, it makes me mildly nauseous to think that we might have had some impact on the election. But honestly, it wouldn't change the decision,' he said.