washington president donald trump still look new fbi director three weeks fire jam comey source familiar recruit process say chaotic job interview lead trump brief three close associate three contenders job interview trump say candidates summon white house 10- 20-minute conversations trump vice president mike pence attorney general jeff sessions conversations follow initial interview justice department light question substantive issue face agency three associate say department compile long list candidates white house clear framework logic interview say one source another three source describe process chaotic say one interview trump speak mostly seem distract white house decline comment nature interview process spokesman sean spic say friday trump continue meet candidates would give timeline choose nominee may 18 trump tell reporters close send nomination new director federal bureau investigation senate time former senator joe lieberman front-runner post withdraw name consideration may 25. least dozen people consideration accord white house spokeswoman interview trump republican representative trey gowdy consideration say may 15 interest next day republican senator john cornyn also contender say would stay senate spic say tuesday trump plan meet afternoon john pistole former deputy director fbi head transportation security administration chris wray former head justice department criminal division white house say trump also interview lieberman former oklahoma governor frank keating act fbi director andrew mccabe former fbi official richard mcfeely trump reportedly tell russian officials visit white house may 10 fire comey previous day relieve great pressure president feel investigation possible tie election campaign team russian officials new york time first report remark russians trump call comey crazy real nut job trump deny collusion russia presidential campaign repeatedly question u.s. intelligence find russian president vladimir putin direct operation intend swing election trump favor democratic rival hillary clinton russia repeatedly deny effort interfere u.s. election putin say thursday russians might act without government involvement comey set testify thursday senate intelligence committee open session private comey reportedly talk pressure trump drop investigation former national security advisor michael flynn trump 's continue search new fbi chief see chaotic source