NEW: Fired Intelligence Community IG Michael Atkinson releases a statement on his firing, saying "it is hard not to think that the President’s loss of confidence in me derives from my having faithfully discharged my legal obligations as an independent and impartial IG"

Here's Atkinson's full statement

More from Atkinson: "Those of us who vowed to protect a whistleblower’s right to safely be heard must, to the end, do what we promised to do, no matter how difficult and no matter the personal consequences."

"I testified under oath that I would 'encourage, operate, and enforce a program for authorized disclosures within the Intelligence Community that validates moral courage without compromising national security and without retaliation.' I did what I said I would do."