Story highlights Trump was unhappy at Comey's congressional testimony

He eventually fired the FBI director Tuesday

White House communications staffers were unprepared to sell the decision to the public

(CNN) President Donald Trump kept his decision to fire FBI Director James Comey extraordinarily close to the vest in the 48 hours leading up to the stunning announcement, people close to the White House said, before ultimately concluding that Comey "was his own man" and could not be trusted in a role so pivotal to the presidency.

A longtime friend who talked to the President over the weekend described him as "white hot," a mood that set the table for Comey's firing.

Trump did not seek a wide range of viewpoints on Comey, several people familiar with the matter told CNN, unlike his approach on many difficult choices.

Whether sending more troops to Afghanistan or deciding whether to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, the president often embraces opposing positions, but on Comey there was little room for debate inside the West Wing.

White House chief of staff Reince Priebus initially warned of risks associated with abruptly dismissing Comey -- including the fallout for Trump's legislative agenda -- but people familiar with the decision said it was unclear how forcefully Priebus argued his point when it became clear the President was insistent on firing Comey.

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