President Donald Trump said Saturday he would act quickly to appoint a new FBI director following his controversial dismissal earlier this week of James Comey -- a move that was still reverberating around Washington.

Axar.az reports citing to Daily sabah Trump's administration -- embroiled in a deepening crisis over the sacking and its shifting explanation of events -- is interviewing the first candidates for the post on Saturday, U.S. media reported.

"We can make a fast decision," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One before flying to southern Virginia, where he delivered his first commencement address as president at Liberty University, an evangelical Christian school.

The White House has provided no set timeline for the process of replacing Comey.

Asked if the decision or an announcement could take place before he leaves for Saudi Arabia on Friday, Trump said: "Even that is possible. I think the process is going to go quickly."

"They've been vetted over their lifetime, essentially," he said of the candidates, describing them as "very well-known, highly respected, really talented people," before adding: "And that's what we want for the FBI."