The Note: Russia on Trump's mind

— -- NOTABLES

-- ANALYSIS BY ABC'S RICK KLEIN. President Trump has shown no restraint in attacking and even slandering government officials and institutions – members of Congress, federal judges, portions of the intelligence community, and leaders of the FBI. But as he fills in blanks around the firing of James Comey, the president is now directly contradicting his own White House – up to and including the words of his own vice president, and the words spoken on behalf of the president himself. Revealing that the decision was Trump’s alone is damaging enough to his White House’s credibility, given the version of events put out in the first 36 hours since the surprise firing. Volunteering that the Russia investigation played a role in the president’s thinking blows the lid off attempts to make the firing look appropriate; Trump just gave up the goose without so much as a chase. That piece of the story contributes to a road map that points the story toward Russia – a quickening FBI investigation where the FBI head is suddenly sacked, followed by pictures of smiling Russian officials in the Oval Office. And Trump goes even further, labeling Comey a “showboat” and a “grandstander” who – despite explicit statements to the contrary from the new interim head – lost the confidence of the agency he led. Trump is practically begging Comey to tell his side of the story. He may as well be pleading with those conducting investigations, both at the FBI and in Congress, to turn up their scrutiny of every element of this story.

-- TRUMP HAD RUSSIA ON HIS MIND WHEN HE DECIDED TO FIRE COMEY. President Donald Trump said Thursday he was thinking about the Russia investigation when he made the decision to fire FBI director James Comey, despite the official administration line that Comey’s removal had nothing to do with it. Until Thursday evening, the White House had publicly denied that Trump was considering the handling of the investigation into his campaign’s possible ties with Russia when he decided to fire Comey, writes ABC's RILEY BEGGIN. http://abcn.ws/2r6f1lV

-- TRUMP PLANNED TO FIRE 'SHOWBOAT' COMEY REGARDLESS OF DOJ RECOMMENDATION. Two days after firing FBI Director James Comey, President Donald Trump offered a pointed evaluation of Comey's character and insisted that the determination was made before an evaluation of him by the Department of Justice. "Look, he's a showboat. He's a grandstander," said Trump in an interview with NBC's Lester Holt. "The FBI has been in turmoil. You know that. I know that. Everybody knows that." ABC's ADAM KELSEY and RILEY BEGGIN have more: http://abcn.ws/2q9aTlZ

-- ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS RELEASES NEW SENTENCING GUIDELINES: The Department of Justice is sending out a new “charging and sentencing policy” to all federal prosecutors, requiring them to pursue the “most serious, readily provable offense.” Most “serious” crimes are determined by which offenses carry the longest sentences, according to the guidelines. Exceptions will only be allowed with approval from a supervisor, which takes some discretion away from prosecutors to charge a lesser offense. These changes will likely increase the number of people charged and the federal prison population, according to ABC's GENEVA SANDS.

-- TODAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE. President Donald Trump is slated to meet with National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster and National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn this morning and meet with Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly this afternoon. A White House spokesperson tells ABC News that Trump will not go to the FBI headquarters today. Press Secretary Sean Spicer is back behind the podium this afternoon for today's press briefing.

-- FROM THE PRESIDENT'S TWITTER THIS MORNING:@realDonaldTrump: Again, the story that there was collusion between the Russians & Trump campaign was fabricated by Dems as an excuse for losing the election.@realDonaldTrump: The Fake Media is working overtime today!@realDonaldTrump: As a very active President with lots of things happening, it is not possible for my surrogates to stand at podium with perfect accuracy!....

SPEED READ with ABC’s ADAM KELSEY

RUSSIAN FIGHTER 20 FEET FROM U.S. NAVY PLANE OVER BLACK SEA. Earlier this week, a Russian fighter came within 20 feet of an American military reconnaissance aircraft flying in international airspace over the Black Sea. The daylight encounter between the two aircraft was deemed to be "safe and professional" by the U.S. military and the Russian Defense Ministry described the Russian fighter as having approached the U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon at "a safe distance." Kunze noted that U.S. Navy ships and aircraft operate routinely in the Black Sea consistent with international law, reports ABC's LUIS MARTINEZ. http://abcn.ws/2r0WESX

SOME REPUBLICANS EXPRESS CONCERN OVER COMEY FIRING. It's been two days since President Donald Trump fired FBI director James Comey, the leading figure in the intelligence community’s investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. In the immediate aftermath, Democrats roundly condemned the firing while Republicans were split on whether to endorse it, writes ABC's RILEY BEGGIN. http://abcn.ws/2qyCWhN

5 MOMENTS DONALD TRUMP AND JAMES COMEY WERE AT ODDS. Contrary to the White House's original explanations, it’s now clear that President Trump himself initiated the process to fire James Comey. Trump told Lester Holt Thursday that he had planned to fire Comey for some time. ABC's JUSTIN FISHEL, RILEY BEGGIN and ADAM KELSEY note some moments in the past year when Comey and Trump did not align. http://abcn.ws/2pEi2cU

TRUMP LAUNCHES COMMISSION ON 'ELECTION INTEGRITY.' President Donald Trump has signed an executive order Thursday establishing a commission to review alleged voter fraud and voter suppression in the American election system. Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach were announced as the Chair and Vice Chair of the bipartisan "Presidential Commission on Election Integrity," report ABC's ALEXANDER MALLIN and KATHERINE FAULDERS. http://abcn.ws/2r4Khmd

DEMOCRATS CRY FOUL OVER COMEY FIRING AFTER PREVIOUSLY CALLING FOR HIM TO RESIGN. Democrats in Congress are questioning the timing of Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday afternoon, and many say they suspect the president may be trying to obstruct the bureau's investigation into possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and the Russian government. But less than a year ago, some of the same Democratic politicians who are now attacking Trump for firing Comey called for the director's resignation or questioned his credibility, explain ABC's VERONICA STRACQUALURSI and ADAM KELSEY. http://abcn.ws/2q7SK9O

DEPUTY AG ROSENSTEIN WAS ON THE VERGE OF RESIGNING, UPSET OVER WH PINNING COMEY FIRING ON HIM. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was so upset with the White House for pinning the firing of FBI Director James Comey on him Wednesday that he was on the verge of resigning, an administration source told ABC News. After Comey's firing Tuesday night, White House officials said President Donald Trump acted on the recommendation of Rosenstein. Deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on "Good Morning America" Thursday that she was "not aware" that Rosenstein was contemplating his resignation, reports ABC's JONATHAN KARL. http://abcn.ws/2qXdJND

NEW ACTING FBI CHIEF PUSHES BACK ON WH ASSERTION THAT RANK AND FILE LOST CONFIDENCE IN COMEY. The acting head of the FBI pushed back Thursday on White House assertions this week that the agency’s rank and file lost confidence in James Comey before his firing as FBI director. "I can tell you also that Director Comey enjoyed broad support within the FBI and still does to this day," acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe told the Senate Intelligence Committee, though he noted that some bureau agents who disagreed with Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton email case were "vocal" about their dissent. ABC's MIKE LEVINE has more: http://abcn.ws/2qwFtZO

ASSOCIATES SKEPTICAL COMEY CLEARED TRUMP IN RUSSIA INVESTIGATION. Associates of James Comey are highly skeptical that the former FBI director toldDonald Trump he was not under investigation in the Russia probe as the president claimed in a letter firing Comey. While it is conceivable there was a misunderstanding on Trump's part, the sources said Comey would never have cleared Trump with the investigation still underway. It would have been highly inappropriate to discuss an active investigation and sources close to Comey said he knows better than anyone that one never knows how a probe will end until it's over, note ABC's PIERRE THOMAS and JACK DATE. http://abcn.ws/2r63jZf

AFTER COMEY, OPTIONS EMERGE FOR INDEPENDENT RUSSIA INVESTIGATION. Galvanized by President Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey, many politicians have increased calls for an independent investigation into the possible contacts between Russia and Trump associates before and after the 2016 presidential election. A number of Democrats are calling for a special prosecutor or a special counsel to handle the investigations. While no Republicans are yet calling for a special prosecutor at this time there are a few calling for a special investigation by an independent commission or a select congressional committee, explain ABC's BENJAMIN SIEGEL and ARLETTE SAENZ. http://abcn.ws/2r3PFFi

WHO’S TWEETING?

@JordynPhelps: Trump not heading to the FBI today, a WH spokesperson tells me, but hoping to make visit happen "sometime soon"

@matthewjdowd: President Trump calling Comey a "showboat" is like King Kong going to the zoo and telling a chimpanzee they are "big monkeys".

@sswinkgma: "It's never helpful to have FBI agents mad at you."-@danabrams to @RobinRoberts on Comey firing by Trump

@tribelaw: By saying Comey had told him 3x that FBI wasn't investigating his campaign's links to Russia, T waived executive privilege wrt T/C xchanges

@pewresearch: The black voter turnout rate declined in 2016 for the first time in 20 years in a presidential election pewrsr.ch/2r9bNyT