Trump defends firing of FBI director, promises “far better” replacement
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his firing of the FBI’s director, blasting Democratic critics who decried the move and vowing to replace James Comey with someone “far better.”
“Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me,” Trump wrote in a series of posts on Twitter one day after he fired the top U.S. law enforcement official.
Comey had been leading a probe into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign’s possible collusion with Russia to influence the election outcome.
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Trump’s move stunned Washington and raised suspicions among Democrats and others that the White House was trying to blunt the FBI probe involving Russia.
Some Democrats compared Trump’s move to the “Saturday Night Massacre” of 1973, in which President Richard Nixon fired an independent special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal.
One of four senior FBI officials, to serve as the interim replacement
Trump is considering four senior FBI officials to serve as the interim replacement for fired FBI Director James Comey, a White House official said on Wednesday.
The four candidates include acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, assistant FBI director in charge Paul Abbate, Chicago special agent in charge Michael J. Anderson and Richmond, Va., special agent in charge Adam Lee, the official said.
The official said the Justice Department is running the process with job interviews being conducted by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
FBI chief sought more funds for Russia probe days before he was fired
Former FBI Director James Comey had requested additional funding and personnel for the agency’s probe into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election just days before he was fired, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
Comey, fired by President Donald Trump on Tuesday, had asked Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein last week for a significant boost in resources and later briefed U.S. lawmakers on the request, the New York Times said, citing three unnamed officials.
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