“Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker pressed President-elect Donald Trump on whether to fire FBI Director Christopher Wray in a Friday interview that aired Sunday.
President Trump nominated Kash Patel to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation on November 30, even though Wray, who was appointed by the president-elect in his first term, has not yet completed his term. Noting this, the NBC News host asked Trump if he intended to fire Wray.
“Well, I can't say I'm excited for him. He broke into my house, and I'm going to sue the country over that,” Trump responded. “He broke into Mar-a-Lago.''
NBC: Fire Christopher Wray?
President Trump: “If… @kash_patel If he comes in, he's going to replace someone, right? That someone is the man you are talking about. ” pic.twitter.com/dYQwfx5l5O
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) December 8, 2024
On August 8, 2022, the FBI raided President Trump's Florida mansion on suspicion of mishandling classified documents after the legality of the appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith was rejected.
“I'm very dissatisfied with what he did, and crime is at an all-time high. As we've discussed, there's an influx of immigrants from prisons and psychiatric hospitals into this country.” the president-elect told Welker. (Related article: 'They entered the country illegally': President Trump clashes with 'Meet the Press' host over deportation promise)
“I can't say I'm excited. “I don't want to say it again,” Trump continued, even more harshly. “I don't want to be Joe Biden and give answers and then do the exact opposite.”
Trump was referring to President Joe Biden's repeated assertions that he would never pardon his son Hunter on December 1st.
As Trump spoke unflinchingly, Welker interjected to reiterate how displeased he was with Wray's actions. He recalled the FBI director's initial apparent downplaying of the July assassination attempt on him in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“Look what happened. And when I got shot in the ear, he said, 'Oh, it was probably shrapnel.' Where do the debris come from? ” Trump asked. “Does it come from heaven? I don't think so.”
Mr. Welker asked again, asking for Mr. Patel if Mr. Wray should be fired, but Mr. Trump rejected the question.
“It seems pretty obvious that if Kash comes in, he's going to be replacing someone, right? And by that someone, I mean the guy you're talking about,” he replied.
