Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) expressed concern on Wednesday over President Trump’s decision to fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions, warning that it “brings us one step closer to a constitutional crisis.”
“I’m concerned that President Trump made this decision based on his fear of being implicated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and frustration with Sessions’ recusal from that investigation,” Booker said in a statement.
The New Jersey senator called on Congress to pass legislation he’s co-sponsored that would provide a layer of protection for Mueller in the event he is fired. He also called on new acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to recuse himself from overseeing the Russia investigation.
{mosads}Whitaker has come under scrutiny since his appointment for opinion pieces he wrote for The Hill and CNN advocating for curbing the scope of the Mueller investigation, and suggesting stifling its funding.
Booker, a prospective 2020 presidential candidate, serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will oversee the nomination process for the next attorney general.
Sessions was effectively fired on Wednesday, submitting a resignation letter at Trump’s request. His ouster followed months of public ridicule at the hands of the president, who regularly lamented Sessions’s decision to recuse himself from overseeing the investigation into Russia’s election interference.