Donald Trump has attacked fired FBI boss James Comey in a series of tweets a day after sacking him.

Following an outcry from politicians from both major parties, the President moved to justify his decision by insisting that Mr Comey had "lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington".

"James Comey will be replaced by someone who will do a far better job, bringing back the spirit and prestige of the FBI," he wrote.

As well as retweeting an article which set out "10 major FBI scandals on Comey's watch", Mr Trump accused the Democrats of hypocrisy.

"The Democrats have said some of the worst things about James Comey, including the fact that he should be fired, but now they play so sad!" he tweeted.


Mr Comey was dismissed on the recommendation of US attorney general Jeff Sessions and the deputy attorney general, according to a White House statement.

Officials accused the director of mishandling the investigation into the email practices of Hillary Clinton.

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The New York Times reported that Mr Comey learned about his termination while addressing FBI agents in Los Angeles - and had caught a glimpse of news reports on TV screens at the back of the room.

He initially made light of the story, reportedly believing it to be a prank, but was then led to a nearby office where his dismissal was confirmed.

Shortly afterwards, a letter from Mr Trump, dated Tuesday, was delivered to the FBI's headquarters in Washington. The letter was later released to reporters by the White House.

In his letter to Mr Comey, the President wrote: "You are hereby terminated and removed from office, effective immediately.

"While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgement of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau.

"It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission."

FBI boss defends Clinton email revelation

The decision to sack Mr Comey will raise questions about Mr Trump's motives, in light of the fact that Mr Comey had been leading the FBI investigation into alleged links between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said it hopes Mr Comey's dismissal will not affect Moscow's ties with Washington - and said it did not believe the firing had anything to do with Russia.

Senator Richard Burr, the Republican chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, has said he is "troubled by the timing and reasoning of Director Comey's termination" - and warned it will frustrate the investigations into whether Russia interfered with last November's presidential election.

The search for Mr Comey's successor will start immediately.

Mr Comey, 56, was nominated by Mr Trump's predecessor Barack Obama in 2013 for a 10-year term, having served three decades in law enforcement.

Clinton: 'I was winning until emails decision'

Many were surprised by Mr Trump's decision to keep Mr Comey and some saw it as a reward for his role in damaging the presidential campaign of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton by reopening an investigation into her email practices as secretary of state.

But in March, Mr Comey took aim at Mr Trump during a hearing on Russia's alleged meddling in the election.

He confirmed the FBI was investigating the allegations and Russia's possible connections with Mr Trump's campaign.

He also denied Mr Trump's claim that he had been wiretapped by Mr Obama.

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden described the dismissal as "outrageous", fellow Democrat Mark Warner said it was "shocking and deeply troubling", while other Democrats called for an independent prosecutor to continue the investigation into Russian links with the presidential campaign.