GOP senator: Republicans opposing bill protecting Mueller would back it if Clinton were president

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.) said in a recent interview that lawmakers slamming his legislation to protect special counsel Robert Mueller would want the same bill if Hillary Clinton were president.

“The same people who would criticize me for filing this bill would be absolutely angry if I wasn’t pounding the table for this bill if we were dealing with Hillary Clinton,” Tillis told Politico. “So spare me your righteous indignation.”

{mosads}Tillis, along with Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Christopher Coons (D-Del.), last week introduced legislation that would restrict President Trump’s ability to fire the special counsel.

The bill would allow Mueller to have an “expedited judicial review” within 10 days of his possible dismissal to probe whether or not the firing was for a “good cause.”

Some Republican lawmakers have recently shown an increased enthusiasm for passing legislation to protect Mueller. The White House said last week Trump believes he has the power to fire the special counsel.

Tillis, in his interview, argued that the legislation could also help Republicans in the future should there be “a President Warren or a President Sanders or a President Booker,” referring to Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Booker. All three lawmakers have been floated as potential Democratic candidates for 2020.

“The only way you get these things done [is] when you have somebody who is willing to take the heat when you’re in the majority,” Tillis told Politico.