James Comey says he was RIGHT to start Russian collusion probe into

Fired FBI director James Comey insisted Wednesday that he was right to start investigating Donald Trump and his campaign over potential collusion with Russia saying: 'However could the FBI leave that alone?'

Comey told NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt that he stood by his decision in July 2016, despite Robert Mueller being revealed this weekend to have found no evidence of collusion.

In his first interview since Attorney General Bill Barr published a four-page summary of Mueller's report, Comey said he was 'confused' about how Trump came to be cleared of obstruction of justice, and about why the president had not been supoenaed for an interview by the special counsel.

He also accused Trump of a campaign to 'burn down an institution of justice because he saw it as a threat', and accused him of 'terrible' lies about himself, the FBI and Mueller.

'The investigation had to happen,' Comey said.

'It would have been irresponsible not to investigate. And we don't investigate, despite what the partisans say, to find a particular result. We investigate to find out what's true, and as best I can tell, looks like Bob Mueller was allowed to do that, and that's a great thing.'

Speaking out: James Comey broke his silence in an interview with Lester Holt which came just three days after Trump proclaimed himself 'exonerated' by Mueller

Speaking out: James Comey broke his silence in an interview with Lester Holt which came just three days after Trump proclaimed himself 'exonerated' by Mueller

Trump declared himself 'exonerated' by the Mueller report's findings on Sunday and said 'no president should have to endure' a similar investigation.

But Comey fired back, saying the FBI had 'smoke' - and offered an analogy with the Iranians attempting to get Barack Obama elected which is certain to provoke fury in the Oval Office.

'There was smoke and enough smoke to justify investigating,' he said.

'Obviously there was overwhelming evidence the Russians were interfering in the election to hurt one candidate and he wanted other. 

'Whether Americans were conspiring with him, I didn't know but we had to look at that.'

He went on: 'I don't know what people are thinking saying we shouldn't have investigated. 

'Remember where this started. Late July of the election year, we knew the Russians were engaged in a massive effort to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump. 

'And then we learn that a trump campaign adviser had spoken to a Russian operative about the dirt they had on Hillary Clinton. Before any of us knew anything about it. How on Earth would the FBI leave that alone?'

Asked by Holt to respond to Trump's demand that such an investigation should 'never, ever again happen to an American president, Comey hit back.

'Close your eyes. Again, change the names. Let me make one up for you. The Iranians - this is totally made up,' he said.

'The Iranians interfere in the election to help elect Barack Obama because they think they'll get a better nuclear deal from him. 

'And during that election an Obama aide meets with the Iranians and talks about the dirt they have that will help Obama get elected. And the FBI finds out about that. We should not investigate that? 

'And then president Obama's national security adviser lies to the FBI about his contacts with is Iranians, and then the president, Obama, asks me to drop an investigation of that and then fires me and says, "I was thinking of the Iranians then."

'Thing he invites the mullahs to the Oval Office and tells them, that FBI director was a real nutjob, I lifted a lot of

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