President Donald Trump said that it was “bothersome” special counsel Robert Mueller was friends with former FBI director James Comey, as he signaled hope that he would conduct the Russian investigation properly.

“Robert Mueller is an honorable man, and hopefully he will come up within a honorable solution,” Trump said in an interview with Fox and Friends.

But Trump signaled concern about Mueller’s friendship with Comey and his decision to hire some lawyers who either worked for Hillary Clinton or donated to Democrats.

“He is very, very good friends with Comey, which is very bothersome, but we’re going to have to see,” Trump said.

“The whole thing is ridiculous,” Trump said.

The president denied that he colluded with Russia and that he tried to obstruct justice by firing Comey.

“Look, there has been no obstruction, there has been no collusion, but there has been leaking by Comey,” Trump said.

Trump said he floated the possibility that there were tapes of his conversations with Comey, in order to keep him honest during his senate testimony.

“I think his story may have changed, I mean, you’ll have to take a look at that because then he actually has to tell what took place at the events,” he said.