Washington (CNN) Decrying the "trauma" inflicted upon his Supreme Court nominee by allegations of sexual assault, President Donald Trump stressed on Monday an FBI investigation into the accusations should be thorough but swift.

"We don't want to go on a witch hunt, do we?" Trump asked toward the end of a lengthy and free-wheeling press availability in the Rose Garden that revealed his frustrations at the drawn-out process.

Seeking to rebut claims the White House is restricting the FBI's probe, Trump stressed the bureau should speak with whomever Republican senators want, including beleaguered nominee Brett Kavanaugh himself, whose name was not on an initial list of potential witnesses.

After reports over the weekend suggested the White House was seeking to limit the scope of the FBI's investigation, Trump and his aides appeared to alter course. The White House has made it clear to the FBI that its agents are not limited in their expanded background search, one White House official said.

"It wouldn't bother me at all" if the FBI interviews all three women who have accused Kavanaugh of misconduct, Trump said, adding the accusations of a third accuser, Julie Swetnick, did not appear credible to him.

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