Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) on Wednesday issued a straightforward warning to President Trump: “Fire Mueller and we fire you.”
Swalwell’s apparent suggestion that Democrats would impeach Trump if he moved to shut down special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe came in response to Trump’s earlier tweet saying that Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop the investigation.
“Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further,” Trump wrote. “Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!”
With the Wednesday tweet, Trump escalated his attacks on the Mueller investigation, from referring to it as a “witch hunt” to publicly calling on Sessions to shut down the probe.
{mosads}Because Sessions recused himself from matters related to the investigation, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is overseeing the probe.
The tweet drew immediate backlash from Trump critics, who see it as a potential example of obstruction of justice.
“Individuals of conscience who believe in rule of law should denounce this blatant effort to obstruct justice,” said former CIA Director John Brennan. “As Mr. Trump’s desperation to protect himself grows, he could turn words into actions, prompting a Constitutional crisis. Congress must warn Trump of dire consequences.”
Mueller is reportedly looking into Trump’s tweets as part of an investigation into whether the president obstructed justice.
Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the tweet was not an “order” to Sessions, but rather Trump expressing his opinion.