You are kidding': Russian foreign minister responds to news that Trump fired Comey

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited the U.S. State Department Wednesday and received some news that he seemed to indicate was a surprise to him.

Lavrov met with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson behind closed doors, and following their discussion, the two men appeared before the media for a photo op and brief remarks. Tillerson thanked Lavrov for traveling to Washington and expressed gratitude to Lavrov for playing host in Moscow in April.

Just before the men walked out of the room, NBC News reporter Andrea Mitchell shouted a question about the biggest news story of the day.

"Does the [James] Comey firing cast a shadow over the talks, gentlemen?" Mitchell asked.

Lavrov stopped, turned around, and asked, "Was he fired?

"Yes," Mitchell replied.

"You're kidding. You're kidding." Lavrov said, as a smiling Tillerson stood next to him.

President Donald Trump said that he fired Comey because the director "wasn't doing a good job." The Trump administration cited Comey's handling of the FBI's investigation into former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's emails as the reason for his termination.

However, Democrats, and even some Republicans, were skeptical and alleged that the reason Trump fired Comey might instead have something to do with the bureau's investigation into the Trump campaign's alleged ties to Russia. The New York Times reported Wednesday that, just days before the firing, Comey had requested more resources from the federal government for the ongoing Trump-Russia investigation.

Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said that "the idea that he [Comey] asked for more funding” for the investigation was “totally false," according to the Times.

(H/T: Daily Caller)