Democratic Sen. Chris Coons defended his attempt to pass legislation that would protect special counsel Robert Mueller from being fired by President Donald Trump.
Asked why such a law is necessary if, as reported, Trump considered, but did not go through with firing Mueller last year after the White House counsel threatened to quit if he did and so much time has passed since then, the Delaware senator told CNN's "New Day" that "we see now a president who has no clear sense of his boundaries and of the rule of law."
Coons acknowledged that "on occasion, [the president] consults his lawyers and follows their advice and the outcome's been positive, [but] on occasion, he doesn't consult his lawyers and he's done and said things that have really threatened the rule of law."
The senator said the preventive step of passing the legislation would be well worth it.
"This is a small legislative matter that would take current regulations and make them law that say that if the special counsel were abruptly removed without cause, the counsel could find his way to be reinstated through a three-judge panel," Coons said.
He emphasized that "if we could put this speed bump in place, that would just prevent the president from taking a rash and an unwarranted act, I think it would strengthen our constitutional order and protect our country from an unnecessary moment should the president go off the rails on this issue again."