Donald Trump said on Saturday that he wants to make "a fast decision" to nominate a new FBI director, a post that requires Senate confirmation, and he added that it's possible that this will occur before next Friday, when he departs for Saudi Arabia on his first international trip.

In a speech at Liberty University, VA,  in front of a conservative faithful audience, the president described the candidates he is considering to replace Comey as "very well known," "highly respected" and "really talented."

 Mr. Comey was fired by Trump last week over his connections with Russian interference, however analysts are still trying to make clearer conclusions about the real reasons for his dismissal.  According to The New York Times, Trump "confounded supporters and his staff with his ever-shifting account of why he fired Mr. Comey, as well as his suggestion that he may have surreptitiously recorded their conversations — would not say who was on his shortlist to lead the F.B.I.". 

 The administration began interviewing the candidates on Saturday, a process being overseen by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Justice Department's No. 2 official, Rod Rosenstein, a source familiar with the process told EFE.

Among those being considered to replace Comey are the current deputy FBI chief, Andrew McCabe; Republican Sen. John Cornyn; New York appeals court Judge Michael Garcia; and Alice Fisher, the former head of the Justice Department's criminal division.

Also on the list of candidates are Adam Lee, the head of the FBI office in Richmond, Virginia; Frances Townsend, former national security and counterterrorism adviser for ex-President George W. Bush; and former Congressman and ex-FBI special agent Mike Rogers, who has the support of an FBI agents' association.

The White House has become bogged down in numerous contradictions in trying to explain Trump's decision to fire Comey.

In addition, on Sunday a growing number of lawmakers from both  political sides cautioned President Trump on Sunday not to name a new FBI chief  and declared that if the president has tapes of White House conversations with fired James B. Comey, they must be handed over.

Despite Just 29 percent of Americans support President Donald Trump's decision to fire FBI chief James Comey, while 38 percent disapprove of the move, according to a survey released on Sunday.

The survey, conducted by NBC and The Wall Street Journal, found that another 32 percent of those interviewed refused to express an opinion about Comey's sudden firing, which was announced Tuesday afternoon sparking an unprecedented crisis for the Trump administration.

Among the people surveyed who said they had read or heard a great deal about the matter, disapproval of Trump's action rises to 53 percent, compared with 33 percent who support it.