Comey first heard he was fired from television reports; thought it was a prank

Former FBI Director James Comey heard he was fired by President Donald Trump from news reports as he was speaking to a group of FBI employees in Los Angeles, several media outlets are reporting.

According to some of those in attendance, Comey laughed when he saw a news flash that said he had been fired, and said he thought it was a funny prank. Soon after, his staff signaled him to come into a nearby office where he was told the news was not a prank, and that the president had, indeed, fired him.

He was told that a letter had been delivered to the FBI headquarters in Washington confirming that he had been dismissed.