US President Donald Trump shocked the country Tuesday night when he fired FBI Director James Comey, claiming the head of the investigative agency had mishandled an investigation into Hillary Clinton.

Comey, appointed to the office by Barack Obama in 2013, was removed from his position by Trump, with advice from his Attorney General and his deputy.

In a letter signed by the President, Comey was informed that “you are hereby terminated and removed from office, effective immediately.”

“While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau.

“It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission.”

“I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.” the letter concluded.

The firing has drawn immense criticism, especially since Comey is in charge of the Bureau’s probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Critics are of the view that Trump fired Comey to handicap the investigation, but the White House insist it’s due to his poor handling of the probe into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, an investigation the FBI concluded last year without filing any charges.