Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) responded to a New York Times article revealing that President Trump
Donald John TrumpTrump: If there's no wall, there's no DACA fix Trump appears to call out Samsung over missing FBI text messages Trump Commerce pick told lawmakers he would look at reversing Obama move on internet oversight: report MORE reportedly tried to fire special counsel Robert Mueller
Robert Swan MuellerSasse: US should applaud choice of Mueller to lead Russia probe MORE last year with a renewed call for the Senate to take up bills aimed at protecting the special counsel.
In a tweet Thursday night, Blumenthal, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, called Trump's move to fire Mueller, reportedly foiled by White House counsel Don McGahn, "deeply scary" and "stunning."
"Stunning, deeply scary Trump move to fire Mueller raises need for Special Counsel protection bill immediately. Judiciary Committee must approve and Congress must pass," Blumenthal tweeted.
Stunning, deeply scary Trump move to fire Mueller raises need for Special Counsel protection bill immediately. Judiciary Committee must approve and Congress must pass. https://t.co/hFsva7yXLr
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) January 26, 2018
His comments come after the Times reported that McGahn threatened to resign over Trump's order to fire Mueller in June of last year, forcing the president to back down.
Blumenthal was an early supporter last year of a bipartisan bill from Sens. Cory Booker
Cory Anthony BookerDems sour on shutdown tactics Chuck Schumer’s deal with the devil Senate ends debate on Powell nomination ahead of likely confirmation MORE (D-N.J.) and Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Olin GrahamDems sour on shutdown tactics Trump action on tariffs triggers GOP alarm Senate faces difficult path to immigration deal MORE (R-S.C.) that would require a judge to approve a Justice Department request to fire Mueller or any other special counsel. Any appeal of the decision would go to the Supreme Court.
"Our bill allows judicial review of any decision to terminate a special counsel to make sure it’s done for the reasons cited in the regulation rather than political motivation. I think this will serve the country well," Graham said in a statement last year.
Several bills aimed at protecting Mueller or another special counsel have been filed in the Senate, but none have made it to the floor for a vote.