The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday called on his colleagues to protect special counsel Robert Mueller from the threat of being fired during his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.
“Over the last several weeks, a growing chorus of irresponsible and reckless voices have called for President Trump to shut down special counsel Mueller’s investigation,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said in a speech from the Senate floor. “Those statements […] are extremely worrying.”
Some conservatives have grown worried about the impartiality of Mueller’s investigation, especially after text messages with anti-Trump sentiments between two members of the probe were released. The two were immediately removed by Mueller, but still Republicans still think Mueller’s team is biased against Trump.
Warner mentioned Kellyanne Conway’s Saturday night interview on Fox News, and said that while she spoke, a chyron appeared on the screen with the words “a coup in America?”
“The fix was in against Donald Trump from the beginning, and they were pro-Hillary,” said Conway, a counselor to the president. “They can’t possibly be seen as objective or transparent or evenhanded or fair.”
Warner called on both Republicans and Democrats “to make a clear and unambiguous statement: that any attempt by this president to remove special counsel Mueller from his position, or to pardon key witnesses in an effort to shield them from accountability or shut down the investigation, would be a gross abuse of power and a flagrant violation of executive branch responsibilities and authorities.”
“These are red lines, and we simply cannot allow them to be crossed,” he added.
Warner reminded his colleagues as to why Mueller was appointed, quoting Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s words that the investigation is looking at “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump” and “any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation.”
“His appointment reassured Americans that there would be a full and thorough law enforcement investigation. The announcement was met with support on both sides of the aisle and received nearly universal praise. In fact, many of the same people who are attacking him today praised Mr. Mueller’s appointment just months ago,” Warner added.
Warner said he is “proud” of the way the Senate Intelligence Committee has so far conducted its own investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign, but noted that their investigation “cannot and will not stand as a substitute” for Mueller’s.
“Firing Mr. Mueller or any of the top brass involved in this investigation would not only call into question this Administration’s commitment to the truth and the rule of law. It also has the potential to provoke a constitutional crisis. In the United States of America, no one is above the law. Not even the president,” Warner said. “I hope my concerns are unfounded, but there are troubling signs. It is critical that we as elected officials, and as citizens, speak up against these threats now before it is too late.”
