US President Barack Obama has full confidence in the FBI Director James Comey, who he believes is not trying to influence the elections, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday.
The spokesman also refused to either defend or criticise the decision.
"I'll neither defend nor criticise what Director Comey has decided to communicate to the public about this investigation," Earnest said.
The letter has created a firestorm ahead of the November 8 general election, with the Clinton Campaign questioning the intent of Comey less than 10 days before the crucial elections and has asked for more information from the FBI.
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The Trump Campaign has welcomed the decision.
"What I will say is that the Department of Justice in our democracy is given expansive authority to conduct investigations. The Department of Justice is given subpoena power, they're allowed to compel witnesses to testify, they are able to collect evidence that's not readily available necessarily, they're even allowed to empanel a grand jury," Earnest said.
"It's important in the mind of the president that those authorities are tempered by an adherence to long-standing tradition and practice and norms that limit public discussion of facts that are collected in the context of those investigations.
"And the president believes that it's important for those norms and traditions and guidelines to be followed," he said.
"The good news is the president believes that Director Comey is a man of integrity, he's a man of principle and he's a man of good character," Earnest said.
"That presumably is the reason that (the former US) President (George) Bush chose him to serve in a senior position at the Bush administration's Department of Justice," he said.
"The president doesn't believe that Director Comey is intentionally trying to influence the outcome of an election. The president doesn't believe that he's secretly strategising to benefit one candidate or one political party," he said.