The firing of FBI director James Comey was a long time coming, to hear the insiders of the Trump administration tell it. But the final actions that put it in motion took place over the course of slightly more than 24 hours—light speed by government standards, and the hastiness and improvisation showed.

On Monday, May 8, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, arrived at the White House for a meeting with President Donald Trump. Trump wanted to know what his two top Justice Department officials thought of Comey and his performance. When Rosenstein, to whom Comey directly reported, told the president of his concerns about the director, Trump told Rosenstein to put down his thoughts in writing. In just one day, Rosenstein put together the memo that would become the White House’s public justification for sacking Comey.