In interviews, Trump laments he can't force the FBI to go after Clinton, cheers State Department vacancies

Trump speaks with Laura Ingraham
(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/Fox News)

President Trump was on Laura Ingraham's new Fox News show Thursday night, and Ingraham asked him about the ample vacancies at the State Department, right before he embarks on a 12-day trip to Asia, and whether he's "worried that the State Department doesn't have enough Donald Trump nominees to push your vision through?" Trump said no, "we don't need all the people that they want."

"Don't forget, I am a business person," Trump added. "I tell my people when you don't need to fill slots, don't fill them. But we have some people that I'm not happy with there. Let me tell you, the one that matters is me. I'm the only one that matters. Because when it comes to it, that's what the policy is going to be."

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"My vision is my vision," Trump added. "It's called cost saving. There is nothing wrong with that. Rex is working hard. He is doing his best." Ingraham asked if Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will stick around, and Trump said, "Well, we will see."

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Earlier Thursday, Trump spoke with conservative radio host Larry O'Connor about his frustrations with the limits to his power. "The saddest thing is that because I'm the president of the United States, I'm not supposed to be involved with the Justice Department, I'm not supposed to be involved with the FBI, I'm not supposed to be doing the kinds of things I would love to be doing, and I'm very frustrated by it," he said. "I look at what's happening with the Justice Department — why aren't they going after Hillary Clinton with her emails and with the dossier and the kind of money?"

As president, he added, "you're not supposed to be involved in that process, but hopefully they are doing something and maybe at some point we can all have it out."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.