Don't want FBI investigation on Kavanaugh to become witch hunt: Trump

US President Donald Trump has said he wants the FBI investigation into alleged attempted rape and sexual misconduct by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to be "comprehensive", and not become a "witch hunt".

At a Rose Garden press conference, Trump on Monday said he has no problem with the FBI investigating the accusations made by three women who have publicly accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, although he left determining the scope of the probe to Senate Republicans, who hold a majority in the upper house, Efe news reported.

"My White House will do whatever the senators want," Trump said. "The one thing I want is speed."

"We don't want to go on a witch hunt, do we?" he added.

Trump, however, said he wants the FBI investigation to be finalised quickly because the confirmation process to date has been "so unfair" to Kavanaugh and his family.

The FBI investigation is to be completed by Friday, October 5, at the latest, whereupon the FBI will provide the information it has gathered to lawmakers and the White House.

The president said that it "wouldn't bother me at all" for the FBI to investigate the claims of the first two women to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual improprieties -- Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez -- and perhaps the third, Julie Swetnick, although he said he had heard that the latter's claim has "very little credibility".

--IANS

pgh/