Trump lashes out at FBI director in wake of Justice Department inspector general’s report - The Washington Post

President Trump lashed out Tuesday morning at FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, suggesting that “he will never be able to fix the FBI” based on his reaction to a Justice Department inspector general’s report examining the bureau’s investigation of Trump’s 2016 campaign.

“I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me,” Trump tweeted. “With that kind of attitude, he will never be able to fix the FBI, which is badly broken despite having some of the greatest men & women working there!”

The 434-page report rebutted conservatives’ accusations that top FBI officials were driven by political bias to illegally spy on Trump advisers as part of the probe into Russian election interference, but it also found broad and “serious performance failures” requiring major changes.

In a statement Monday, Wray, a Trump appointee, said he had ordered more than 40 corrective steps to address the report’s recommendations,” adding that he would not hesitate to take “appropriate disciplinary action if warranted.”

He noted to ABC News, though, that it was “important that the inspector general found that, in this particular instance, the investigation was opened with appropriate predication and authorization.”

[FBI was justified in opening Trump campaign probe, but case plagued by ‘serious failures,’ inspector general finds]

The report, which was based on more than 1 million documents and more than 170 interviews, is the most exhaustive assessment to date of the investigation of Russian election interference that roiled Trump’s presidency, a probe that would ultimately be taken over by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.

Wray was sworn in as FBI director in August 2017, replacing Andrew McCabe, who had been leading the bureau in an acting capacity after Trump fired James B. Comey.

Unlike Comey, Wray has sought to keep a low profile, and that has helped him somewhat to avoid conflict with the commander in chief.

But the FBI director has found himself at odds with Trump at times. For example, Wray earlier this year said he would not use the term “spying” to describe the FBI’s surveillance activities toward the Trump campaign in 2016 — contradicting both the president and Attorney General William P. Barr.

In earlier tweets Tuesday, Trump selectively highlighted findings from the report by quoting Fox News commentators who said it documented “very serious misconduct.”

“Are you listening Comey, McCabe, lovers Lisa & Peter, the beautiful Ohr family, Brennan, Clapper & many more?” Trump added in his own words, referring to several former FBI and intelligence community officials he has repeatedly criticized.

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