Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Donald Trump.
- President Trump said Friday that "if you took a poll in the FBI, I would win that poll more than anyone has ever won a poll."
- His comments came after the Department of Justice's inspector general, Michael Horowitz, released a highly critical report of the FBI's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation.
- Horowitz found that while the actions of senior FBI leaders, like then-FBI Director James Comey, "cast a cloud" over the investigation, their actions were not driven by political bias, and there is no evidence that they acted to influence the outcome of the investigation.
Sign up for the latest Russia investigation updates here »
President Donald Trump touted his belief that he has high levels of support within the FBI during an interview with "Fox and Friends" on Friday.
"If you took a poll in the FBI, I would win that poll more than anyone has ever won a poll," Trump told the host after making an unannounced trip to the front lawn of the White House to join the show.
Trump's comments come after the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General released a long-anticipated report Thursday about the FBI's handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.
Among other things, the report found that James Comey, then the FBI director, was "insubordinate" while overseeing the investigation and that his actions during the 2016 presidential election "negatively impacted" the bureau's and the DOJ's reputation.
While the inspector general, Michael Horowitz, found that the conduct of Comey and others "cast a cloud" over the Clinton investigation, they "did not find documentary or testimonial evidence that improper considerations, including political bias, directly affected the specific investigative actions we reviewed."
The report sent shockwaves through conservative circles in Washington, with Trump and his allies claiming the report's findings - in particular, revelations of more anti-Trump messages sent by FBI employees - were evidence that the top ranks of the FBI are biased against him.
"FBI Agent Peter Strzok, who headed the Clinton & Russia investigations, texted to his lover Lisa Page, in the IG Report, that 'we'll stop' candidate Trump from becoming President," Trump tweeted early Friday. "Doesn't get any lower than that!"
He added: "The IG Report is a total disaster for Comey, his minions and sadly, the FBI. Comey will now officially go down as the worst leader, by far, in the history of the FBI. I did a great service to the people in firing him. Good Instincts. Christopher Wray will bring it proudly back!"
Comey said in a tweet shortly after the report's release that he respected the OIG and that he had urged it to conduct its review.
"The conclusions are reasonable, even though I disagree with some," Comey added. "People of good faith can see an unprecedented situation differently. I pray no Director faces it again. Thanks to IG's people for hard work."