US President Donald Trump said he expects to nominate a new FBI director “quick” following the dismissal of James Comey and said it is possible that even before Friday, when he will leave for Saudi Arabia On his first international tour.
Trump spoke briefly with reporters on Air Force One before flying to Liberty University in Virginia, where he will give a speech today at the graduation ceremony for students.
“We can make a quick decision,” Trump said of the selection process for the new FBI chief after Comey’s fired dismissal last Tuesday.
On whether there will be a decision and an announcement about his nominee to run the FBI before his first trip abroad, which will begin next Friday, Trump said that “even that is possible.”
The president described the candidates to replace Comey as “outstanding”, “well-known” and “of the highest level”.
The process of interviewing candidates will begin today and will be led by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his “Number Two,” Rod Rosenstein.
There are at least four candidates to be interviewed within that process: current interim FBI Director Andrew McCabe; Republican Senator John Cornyn; Judge Michael Garcia of the New York Court of Appeals; And Alice Fisher, formerly of the Justice Department’s criminal division.
Comey’s sudden firing has led to an unprecedented crisis in the Trump Government, which took office in January.
The White House has incurred numerous contradictions in explaining the decision of Trump, who, on the other hand, has denied having demanded “loyalty” to Comey, something sources close to the former FBI director say he did during a private dinner between the two at the end from January.
Trump has not wanted to confirm whether he has recordings of the talks he had with Comey, when asked in an interview with Fox for a tweet he sent Friday saying he “was worth more” to the former FBI director who did not There would be “tapes” of those talks, “before he starts filtering to the press” his version of the facts.
