GOP lawmaker: No need for legislation to protect Mueller

GOP Rep. Scott Taylor (Va.) on Monday denied the need for legislation to protect special counsel Robert Mueller from termination, saying the investigation should be allowed to “take its course.”

“You know, I think if people have a problem with lawmakers politically calling for the firing of Mueller then they should have equally a problem with lawmakers calling to protect him, politically,” Taylor told CNN’s “New Day.” 

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Taylor’s remarks follow a New York Times report last week that said Trump had called for Mueller’s firing but backtracked when the White House counsel threatened to quit.

Some Democrats seized on the report, citing it as an example of the president attempting to obstruct justice and saying it was a sign legislation was needed to protect Mueller from being fired.

Some Republican lawmakers have argued the point as well. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Sunday said, “It certainly wouldn’t hurt to put that extra safeguard in place” to protect Mueller.

But Taylor argues the probe into Russia’s election meddling and any potential ties between Trump campaign staffers and the Kremlin should be permitted to “take its course.”

“If I was the president, I’d be pissed too. You know, it’s been a political hammer by Democrats on him, of course about this,” Taylor said. “It didn’t happen in over a year. Let it take its course. There’s political folks on both sides.”