Andrew McCabe

We have a new president and a new attorney general. They will make their own decisions about what they think is necessary for this investigation. They don't need me to speak for them.

We've been through incredibly intense, difficult times. The days, the hours, between my firing and the appointment of the special counsel were -- we lived a lifetime. It was incredibly stressful.

I worked with Director Mueller and watched how he conducted investigations. He was my boss. He was the deputy attorney general. I felt if he were to step aside and someone would have to step in, I would be the most qualified person to take over that investigation.

The path that we were on in the days after the firing of Jim Comey was so chaotic and so concerning. I was very concerned that I would be asked to do something that I believed to be unethical or inappropriate. It was concerning enough that I was given a heads-up by senior Department of Justice officials that the president was considering asking me to do something.

I support every American's right to exercise their First Amendment rights, but I also believe that all FBI agents need to focus on the mission, the task, the job at hand.