There were “high-ranking people throughout the government” with “a plot” to protect 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton — and “basically frame” President Donald Trump, former FBI Assistant Director James Kallstrom (shown above) warned Sunday on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo.”

Kallstrom, whose 27-year career in the FBI culminated in his serving as assistant director, made his comments following Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ firing of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe on Friday.

Sessions acted just two days before McCabe’s official retirement would have enabled him to begin drawing a lucrative federal pension. The FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) recommended that Sessions fire McCabe because he reportedly lied to investigators. Kallstrom suggested that McCabe was emblematic of continuing corruption among top federal officials.

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“I think there’s a big sigh of relief and a good feeling about the fact that an FBI element, and organization in the FBI, recommended that he be fired, as opposed to them being mute and having someone else make that recommendation,” Kallstrom said. “So I think they’re very happy about that.”

“And they’re just gnawing at the bit to actually get involved in a real investigation, not a phony investigation like [former FBI Director] Jim Comey conducted,” Kallstrom added.

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During Comey’s tenure, McCabe oversaw the FBI’s investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server while she served as secretary of state. Host Maria Bartiromo noted that 10 people “at the top of the FBI and the Department of Justice” have been “either fired or reassigned” over the past several months. These actions took place as details about the Clinton investigation and the investigation into collusion between Russia and Trump’s presidential campaign came to light.

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“Obviously this is no coincidence,” Bartiromo said. “Do you think somebody was directing them, or do you think they just came to the conclusion on their own, this leadership at the FBI and the Department of Justice, that they wanted to change the outcome of the election, that they wanted to protect Hillary Clinton?”

Kallstrom replied, “I think we have ample facts revealed to us during this last year and a half that high-ranking people throughout the government, not just the FBI — high-ranking people had a plot to not have Hillary Clinton, you know, indicted, so that she could remain the flawed candidate that she was, which in my view was stupidity.”

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“They also had a … backup plan to basically frame Donald Trump, and that’s what’s been going on,” Kallstrom continued. “This whole thing in my view is just [a] total phony.”

Trump targeted McCabe, Comey, and special counsel Robert Mueller in a series of tweets over the weekend.

“As the House Intelligence Committee has concluded, there was no collusion between Russia and the Trump Campaign. As many are now finding out, however, there was tremendous leaking, lying and corruption at the highest levels of the FBI, Justice & State. #DrainTheSwamp,” Trump tweeted Saturday.

“How many leaks? Comey knew it all, and much more!” Trump added.

“The Fake News is beside themselves that McCabe was caught, called out and fired. How many hundreds of thousands of dollars was given to wife’s campaign by Crooked H friend, [former Virginia Gov.] Terry [McAuliffe], who was also under investigation? How many lies? How many leaks? Comey knew it all, and much more!” Trump added.

Trump insisted that Mueller’s probe “should never have been started” because “there was no collusion and there was no crime.”

“It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the [Democratic National Committee], and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!” Trump tweeted.

As the House Intelligence Committee has concluded, there was no collusion between Russia and the Trump Campaign. As many are now finding out, however, there was tremendous leaking, lying and corruption at the highest levels of the FBI, Justice & State. #DrainTheSwamp — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2018

The Fake News is beside themselves that McCabe was caught, called out and fired. How many hundreds of thousands of dollars was given to wife’s campaign by Crooked H friend, Terry M, who was also under investigation? How many lies? How many leaks? Comey knew it all, and much more! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2018

The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2018

PoliZette writer Kathryn Blackhurst can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter.