President Trump hinted that it is “possible” that the FBI’s top post will be filled by Friday, according to a White House press pool report released Saturday.
Trump mentioned that he might even make the final decision on who gets the top FBI post before he leaves for Saudi Arabia Friday, saying “even that is possible.”
“We can make a fast decision,” Trump said, explaining the FBI’s vetting process.
Trump spoke highly of the candidates for the position, describing them as “very well-known” and “highly-respected” people with a lot of talent, according to the pool report. The president did not say whether these candidates are being vetted for the interim director or permanent director position.
“Almost all of them are very well known,” he said. “They’ve been vetted over their lifetime, essentially. But very well known, highly respected, really talented people. And that’s what we want for the FBI.”
Four candidates for the permanent position to replace former FBI director James Comey are being interviewed Saturday by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Fox News reported.
The four candidates include Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher, acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), and New York Court of Appeals Judge Michael J. Garcia.
Trump said he would have fired Comey “regardless” of the recommendations he received from Sessions and Rosenstein in an interview with NBC Nightly News Thursday.
The White House told Breitbart News Wednesday that Comey’s inability to handle the FBI’s tendency to leak to the media “was one of many” reasons why Trump was dissatisfied with his performance.
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