Washington: US President Joe Biden will keep Christopher Wray in place as FBI director, the White House confirmed Thursday, providing stability atop the nation’s premier law-enforcement agency as the new administration confronts the rising threat of domestic extremism after the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The decision comes as the Federal Bureau of Investigation is going forwrd swiftly in its probe of hundreds of members of the pro-Trump mob that stormed the halls of Congress on January 6, which was one of the most substantial investigations undertaken in U.S. history. Agency watchdogs are scrutinizing the government’s inability to prevent the deadly attack.

While she was queried at her first White House briefing on Wednesday about Wray's position, Biden's Press Secretary Jen Psaki did not give a direct response, adding that she had not spoken with the President about it "in recent days", The Hill news website reported.

But in a tweet on Thursday, she said: "I caused an unintentional ripple yesterday so wanted to state very clearly President Biden intends to keep FBI Director Wray on in his role and he has confidence in the job he is doing."

The FBI director is appointed to a 10-year term, but does not necessarily serve the full term and can be fired by the President or choose to resign. It was not immediately known if Wray and Biden has spoken since the latter was inaugurated on Wednesday as the new President.

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