President Trump's firing of FBI Director Jim Comey drew an attack from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Tuesday night, but it didn't hide his previous condemnation of the top cop for allegedly interfering with Hillary Rodham Clinton's march to the presidency.

In a press briefing, he hit a "deeply troubling pattern" by the Trump team for firing legal officials linked to the investigation of the Trump campaign's alleged involvement with Russia during the presidential campaign.

In talking with Trump, Schumer said he was making a mistake in firing Comey. "Are people going to suspect coverup, absolutely," he said.

But he didn't always have that kind of support for Comey.

"I do not have confidence in him any longer," he said in early November, calling Comey's 11th hour decision to look into Clinton's improper private email server "appalling."

There are several other examples that show the partisanship in the current Democratic bid to defend Comey.

For good measure, the White House offered up three examples in a statement:

— Sen. Schumer (D-NY) Said He Was "Appalled At What Director Comey Did" By Releasing A Letter. "U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer ripped into FBI Director James Comey on Sunday for announcing he reopened the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails less than two weeks from Election Day. Asked about the situation right off the bat during his one and only debate with long shot Republican challenger Wendy Long, Schumer said he was 'appalled at what Director Comey did.'" (Kenneth Lovett, "Chuck Schumer Blasts FBI Boss James Comey During Debate With GOP opponent Wendy Long," New York Daily News, 10/30/16)

— Sen. Schumer (D-NY) Said He Does "Not Have Confidence In" Comey "Any Longer" For His Decision To Send A Letter Reopening The Investigation Into Clinton's Private Server. "Senate Democratic leader-in-waiting Chuck Schumer said Wednesday he's lost confidence in FBI Director James Comey over his handling of the most recent disclosure in the Hillary Clinton e-mail investigation — a tough rebuke to a man Schumer has long admired. 'I do not have confidence in him any longer,' said the New York Democrat, who has criticized as 'appalling' Comey's decision to send a letter to lawmakers 11 days before the election disclosing the bureau's new review of e-mails potentially pertinent to the investigation of Clinton's private server." (Steven T. Dennis "Schumer Says He Lost Confidence In FBI's Comey Over E-Mail Probe," Bloomberg, 11/2/16)

— In A March 27th 2017 New Yorker Profile, Sen. Schumer (D-NY) Stated That "You Could Say If Comey Wasn't There We Would Have Won." 'When you lose to a candidate who is so unpopular—yes, you could say if Comey wasn't there we would have won,' he went on, referring to James Comey, the F.B.I. director. 'But we should have won anyway, with Comey and with the hacking.'" (Elizabeth Kolbert, "Can Chuck Schumer Check Donald Trump?," The New Yorker, 3/27/17)

Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com