President Donald Trump says the White House is “moving rapidly” to select a replacement for ousted FBI Director James Comey.
Trump says in the Oval Office that the administration is working to quickly find a successor to Comey. He spoke during a meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the White House.
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The administration has interviewed at least eight candidates to replace Comey, with just over half of the 14 being considered.
Trump has said a decision could come before he leaves Friday for the Mideast and Europe, his first overseas trip as president.
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Lawmakers are urging the president to steer clear of appointing any politicians.
The advice came Sunday amid more criticism over Trump’s dismissal of Comey during an FBI probe of Russia’s meddling with last year’s election and any ties to the Trump campaign. James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, said the Founding Fathers created three co-equal branches of government with checks and balances, but with Trump as president, that was now “eroding.”
READ MORE: Lawmakers urge President Trump to avoid picking a politician as new FBI director
The White House had no immediate comment.
Lawmakers from both parties reprimanded Trump for his actions, which included shifting explanations from the White House for Comey’s dismissal and an ominous tweet by Trump that warned Comey against leaks to the press because Trump may have “tapes” of their conversations.
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