'It's not too late' to get rid of FBI Director James Comey, Trump says

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ABC News(WASHINGTON) — President Trump is doubling down on the unsubstantiated wiretapping claims against his predecessor, as well as his unproven allegation that former National Security Adviser Susan Rice may have committed a crime.

In an interview with Fox Business Tuesday, the president also suggested he could change his mind on whether FBI Director James Comey remains in his post.

The president said the latest accusations that Rice ordered the unmasking of various members of his team during the transition supports his March 4 tweets that President Obama “wiretapped” him and his team during the election were proven right.

“When you look at Susan Rice and what’s going on and so many people coming up to me and apologizing, now they’re saying, ‘You know you were right when you said that,’” Trump said. “Perhaps I didn’t know how right I was because nobody knew the extent of it.”

Asked about Rice’s defense that she would never order unmasking for political purposes, Trump countered, “does anybody really believe that?”

“Nobody believes that, even the people that try to protect her in the news media,” Trump said. “It’s such a big story and I’m sure it will continue forward but what they did is horrible.”

Trump told The New York Times last week he believed Rice could be guilty of a crime. Rice’s spokesman told ABC News she wouldn’t “dignify the president’s ludicrous charge with a comment.”

Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo asked Trump why he still has so many Obama holdovers remaining in his administration, specifically pointing to Comey, who is not technically a political appointee.

Asked whether it was “too late” to get rid of Comey, Trump appeared hesitant to discuss his future.

“No, it’s not too late,” Trump said. “But you know I have confidence in him. We’ll see what happens. It is going to be interesting.”

Trump went on to hit Comey for his actions in the Clinton email investigation, saying he was “very, very good to her” and “if he weren’t, she would probably be going to trial.”

Comey said last summer his agency did not recommend that charges be brought against Clinton after a yearlong investigation into her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.

Trump, asked Tuesday whether he’s considering taking any further action against Clinton, said, “I don’t want to talk about that. I want to talk about positive things.”

Trump has previously backed away from campaign threats to appoint a special prosecutor to further investigate Clinton’s use of a private email server.

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