President Trump said Friday that Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., is only trying to force a vote on a bill to protect special counsel Robert Mueller because he wants to stay politically relevant after failing to secure enough support to run for re-election.
“Jeff Flake(y) doesn’t want to protect the Non-Senate confirmed Special Counsel, he wants to protect his future after being unelectable in Arizona for the “crime” of doing a terrible job! A weak and ineffective guy!” the president tweeted.
Jeff Flake(y) doesn’t want to protect the Non-Senate confirmed Special Counsel, he wants to protect his future after being unelectable in Arizona for the “crime” of doing a terrible job! A weak and ineffective guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 9, 2018
Flake said Thursday that he and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., will call for a vote on a bill to protect Mueller in the event Trump decides to terminate him.
When the Senate convenes next week, @ChrisCoons and I will ask for unanimous consent to bring S.2644, the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act, to a vote on the Senate floor. After the firing of The AG, it is more important than ever to protect the Special Counsel.
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) November 8, 2018
The Senate operates under “unamimous consent,” which means any senator can get a bill brought up for consideration if no other lawmaker objects. It only takes one senator, however, to block the request. Many Republican senators oppose the bill, meaning Flake’s move will likely fall flat on the Senate floor.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill in 2017 that would protect Mueller, but it since stalled in the full Senate. Under the proposal, only a senior Department of Justice official would be able terminate Mueller, a provision aimed at putting the special counsel’s fate outside the president’s scope.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Republican Senate leadership colleagues have said legislation to protect Mueller is unnecessary, claiming they believe the president will not fire the special counsel.
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker now has oversight over Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, previously in the hands of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
