President Trump Donald John TrumpFederal prosecutor speaks out, says Barr 'has brought shame' on Justice Dept. Former Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick MORE said Wednesday that he didn’t know the details of Attorney General William Barr Bill BarrFederal prosecutor speaks out, says Barr 'has brought shame' on Justice Dept. Why a backdoor to encrypted data is detrimental to cybersecurity and data integrity FBI official who worked with Mueller raised doubts about Russia investigation MORE’s recent trip to Italy but insisted such outreach would be appropriate in connection with the Justice Department’s review of the FBI’s 2016 election interference probe.

Trump said the Justice Department is investigating corruption at the FBI, suggesting without evidence that former President Obama may have engaged in wrongdoing in connection with the investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia in 2016.

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“Well, I don’t know the details. I just know our country is looking into the corruption of the 2016 election,” Trump said at a joint news conference with Italian President Sergio Mattarella when he was asked whether he personally arranged Barr’s meetings in Italy.

“It was a corrupt election, whether it’s [James] Comey or [Andrew] McCabe or [Peter] Strzok or his lover, Lisa Page,” Trump said, referring to former top FBI officials involved in the bureau's Russia investigation who have become targets of criticism among Trump and his Republican allies.

“There was a lot of corruption. Maybe it goes all the way up to President Obama,” Trump continued. “I happen to think it does.”

Trump also mentioned Obama-era intelligence officials James Clapper James Robert ClapperOn China, Biden is no Nixon — and no Trump The Hill's 12:30 Report - Speculation over Biden's running mate announcement Trump slams former intelligence officials to explain 'reluctance to embrace' agencies MORE and John Brennan John Owen BrennanJournalism or partisanship? The media's mistakes of 2016 continue in 2020 Comey on Clinton tweet: 'I regret only being involved in the 2016 election' Ex-CIA Director Brennan questioned for 8 hours in Durham review of Russia probe MORE, calling them “some real beauties.”

Barr reportedly held meetings with Italian intelligence officials earlier this month to ask for assistance in U.S. attorney John DurhamJohn DurhamSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Barr's Russia investigator has put some focus on Clinton Foundation: report Top Democrats call for DOJ watchdog to probe Barr over possible 2020 election influence MORE’s ongoing review of the Russia investigation.

“I don’t know anything about the meeting but certainly it would be appropriate because the word is, and you read it in the same papers that I do, that they did go to other countries to try and hide what they were doing,” Trump told reporters Wednesday.

“Italy may have been one of them. So you’ll really have to ask Attorney General Barr.”

Barr said earlier this year he would investigate whether intelligence collection on the Trump campaign was adequately predicated; his inquiry is viewed by many as an attempt to discredit the Russia investigation that eventually morphed into former special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE’s probe.

The Justice Department said at the end of September that Trump had contacted foreign countries at Barr’s request to ask them for help in connection with the ongoing probe after reports emerged Trump had raised the matter on a phone call with Australia’s prime minister.

Trump also brought up the Russia inquiry on a July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during which he also asked Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenFormer Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick Bloomberg rolls out M ad buy to boost Biden in Florida MORE, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.

The Ukraine call triggered an intelligence community whistleblower complaint and an impeachment inquiry in the House of Representatives.