Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) issued another warning to President Donald Trump on Sunday, arguing that the firing of Special Counsel Robert Mueller would be “the beginning of the end of his presidency.”
Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union,” Graham was firm in his opposition to Trump firing Mueller while the investigation into Russia’s meddling in 2016 continued. The response came after Trump’s weekend tweetstorm, in which the president once again attacked Mueller’s investigation as a “witch hunt.”
Graham did not waver when it came to the prospect of the president firing the special counsel.
“As I said before, if he tried to do that, that would be the beginning of the end of his presidency because we are a rule-of-law nation,” Graham said. “He is following the evidence where it takes him, and I think it’s very important that he be allowed to do his job without interference, and there are many Republicans who share my view.”
The senator’s Republican colleagues who also appeared on Sunday talk shows were not nearly as forceful in their responses to questions on the same topic.
But Graham has made his stance on this issue clear in the past, co-sponsoring a bipartisan bill in August that would prevent a president from firing a special counsel appointed to investigate the president or his team without cause and judicial review. The bill has not yet been passed.
“The only reason Mr. Mueller could ever be dismissed is for cause. I see no cause when it comes to Mr. Mueller,” Graham said. “I pledged to the American people as a Republican to make sure Mr. Mueller can continue to do his job without any interference. I think he’s doing a good job.”
Take a look at the senator’s full response in the video above.