FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Thursday he has "not detected any whiff of interference" by the White House into the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.Speaking publicly for the first time since being confirmed as head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wray also expressed confidence in Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating whether President Donald Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia during the election.
"I can say very confidently that I have not detected any whiff of interference with that investigation," Wray said during a panel discussion at the Intelligence and National Security Summit in Washington.
Wray was installed as FBI director after his predecessor, James Comey, was fired by Trump in May. In an interview with NBC after Comey’s removal, Trump admitted he was thinking about "this Russia thing" when he decided to fire the then-FBI chief.
Comey later told Congress he believed Trump had tried to get him to drop an FBI probe into former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, as part of the broader Russia investigation - testimony that has raised questions about whether Trump was potentially trying to obstruct justice.
The White House has repeatedly denied the Trump campaign colluded with Russia in the election.