WASHINGTON, May 10. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump’s decision to fire FBI Director James Comey is not related to the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, Vice President Mike Pence said on Wednesday.

According to him, Comey had lost the confidence of the American people. "It’s time for a fresh start," Pence added while speaking with reporters in the Congress.

At the same time, the US vice president pointed out that "Comey on three occasions assured him [President Trump] he is not under investigation."

"The former director of DNI (James Clapper) has said there is no evidence of collusion (between the Trump campaign and the Russian government)," Pence added.

"Let me be clear with you - that’s not what this is about," Pence said adding that the "president made the right decision at the right time."

Allegations concerning some hackers acting on instructions from Russia have been swirling in the US media over the past months. In July 2016, WikiLeaks published hacked emails relevant to the US presidential election that had been allegedly stolen from the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Democratic Party’s presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and major US media outlets claim that some Russian hackers were involved in the leaks.

However, Russia’s authorities have been repeatedly rejecting these allegations.