Donald Trump told Russia’s foreign minister and Russian ambassador to the U.S. that the firing of James Comey, relieved ”great pressure” on him.

So says the White House’s official written account of the Oval Office meeting May 10 – the day after the president dismissed the F.B.I. director.

(Russian Foreign Ministry)

”I just fired the head of the F.B.I.  He was crazy, a real nut job,” Trump said, according to the document, which was read to the New York Times by an American official.

“I faced great pressure because of Russia.  That’s taken off.”

Trump added,”I’m not under investigation.”

Meanwhile, the Washington Post is reporting a current senior White House adviser’s under scrutiny as part of an investigation into possible co-ordination between the Trump election campaign and Russia.

The adviser is not named but is described as someone close to Trump.

The president did not announce his pick for the bureau’s new director before leaving Friday on his first foreign trip – a four-country, nine-day tour of the Middle East and Europe.