Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday there’s no need to pass legislation protecting special counsel Robert Mueller from being fired because there’s no “official effort” by the White House to axe him.
“There's no effort underway to undermine or to remove the special counsel,” the Kentucky Republican told reporters in Washington. “I don't see the need to bring up legislation to protect someone who appears to need no protection.”
He declined to say what would happen if President Donald Trump to remove Mueller. “As of right now I'm unaware of any effort, official effort, on the part of the White House to undermine the special counsel."
Democrats aren’t buying it. They point to a recent New York Times report that Trump ordered Mueller fired last June, but backed off after White House counsel Don McGahn threatened to quit.
There also were reports that Trump wanted to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller to head the Russia investigation after Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey.
There are two bi-partisan bills in Congress that would give the special counsel some protection, but neither seems likely to pass.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer D-N.Y. said Democrats want language protecting Mueller inserted into budget negotiations, but "our Republican colleagues have thus far resisted."
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