Story highlights Ranking Senate Intel Democrat Mark Warner said it's "more than a little bit curious" that Trump named a new FBI director a day before fired director James Comey testifies before Congress

Warner also says the "pattern" emerging around the Russia investigation "raises a huge amount of questions"

Washington (CNN) The top Democratic member of the Senate intelligence committee said Wednesday that the timing of President Donald Trump's announcement of a new FBI director -- the day before James Comey is set to testify before Congress -- is "more than a little bit curious."

"I think it is more than a little bit curious that the president chose this morning as the time to announce his new FBI head," Sen. Mark Warner told host Chris Cuomo in an interview on "New Day."

"There will be a time and place to review him," Warner continued. "But it seems to me that this is an effort to try to take people's attention off what is going to be the main event, at least for the next two days -- the leaders of our intelligence community and the FBI director."

Trump tweeted Wednesday morning he would nominate Christopher Wray to replace Comey as FBI director.

Warner also spoke more broadly about his committee's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and probes into possible collusion with the Trump campaign. He expressed mixed feelings about Republicans' willingness to cooperate.

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