Trump: No concern over possible arrests of ex-FBI, CIA chiefs

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would not be concerned if former FBI Director James Comey and ex-CIA Chief John Brennan were arrested.

In an interview with The Daily Caller, he described them, along with other figures involved in the investigation into the alleged collusion with Russia (“Russiagate”), as “bad” and “very, very sick” people.

“There should be...  They’re sick people, and, you know, the press plays along with it.  But they should be… They should be [arrested] because they’re crooked and they got caught,”

The term "Russiagate" refers to the investigation into alleged ties between Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russian interference in the U.S. election. The investigation, initially led by the FBI under Director James Comey and involving intelligence from the CIA under Director John Brennan, examined Russian efforts to influence the election, including the hacking of Democratic National Committee emails and potential coordination with Trump campaign associates.

On July 9, 2025, Fox News reported that the FBI, under Director Kash Patel, had launched criminal investigations into Comey and Brennan for potential wrongdoing related to the Trump-Russia probe. CIA Director John Ratcliffe, a Trump appointee, referred Brennan to the FBI for allegedly lying to Congress about the Steele dossier’s inclusion in the 2017 ICA, contradicting his 2023 testimony that he opposed its inclusion. The basis for Comey’s investigation is less clear but appears tied to his role in the FBI’s handling of the Russia probe, including the Crossfire Hurricane investigation.

By Khagan Isayev