Transcript for Comey on Trump tweeting about possible 'tapes'

Did you. Realize then could you realize then. The consequences. Of using fire. No. I was a bit numb at the time. And I thought it's crazy to fire me. I'm leading the investigation. Of Russian influence in quickly whether. The anywhere in the trump orbit and coordinated conspire with the Russians and makes no sense at all and the reasons they've given. Make no sense at all are clearly a pretense. But I was numb enough that it is thought well. That's the president's legal right to fire me and so I gotta for government do with the rest of my life since I was trying to put it out of my mind. And just sleep and exercise. And hang out with my wife and kids. And it wasn't until. The president tweeted me. But Friday morning after was fired that. James coming better hope there are tapes of our conversations. That I source snap back to the present but it wasn't even then I step back three days later in the middle of the night will promote and I. And the thought hit me like of lightning Poland would even. If their tapes. He will be heard on that tape in the Oval Office asking me to let go. There is corroboration or can be corporation for the thing we thought when the real Rick robbery of a possible crime yeah of possible obstruction of justice somebody's gotta go get those tapes. I trust the FBI. Because they'll see what I see but I don't trust the leadership of the Department of Justice to do it and why. While the attorney general was your cues. And the deputy attorney general. My view it acted dishonorably by putting out this pretext about why I was fired so I thought well. He's a meek and oh struck he's part of the family now. I can't trust him and so what can I do I can do something now I'm a private citizen.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.