"It's a bizarre situation," the Arizona Republican senator said Wednesday of the probe. | AP Photo McCain: House panel lost 'credibility' to handle Russia probe

Sen. John McCain said Wednesday that a special committee was needed to investigate ties between the Trump campaign and Russian officials because the House Intelligence Committee lost "the credibility to handle this alone."

The Senate Armed Services Chairman was highly critical of the public feuding between House Intel Chairman Devin Nunes, a Republican, and ranking Democratic member Rep. Adam Schiff, who traded explosive statements Wednesday regarding their panel's investigation into Trump-Russia ties.


"It's a bizarre situation," the Arizona Republican senator, speaking to MSNBC's Greta Van Susteren, said of the ongoing probe. "I think that this back and forth and what the American people have found so far is that no longer does Congress have the credibility to handle this alone."

The topic burst into the limelight earlier Wednesday when Nunes (R-Calif.) declared that Trump transition officials, and potentially President Donald Trump himself, had been inadvertently brought under surveillance following the president's victory in November.

Schiff (D-Calif.) panned the comments during a press conference later Wednesday, questioning their legitimacy and Nunes' decision-making.

“The chairman will need to decide whether he is the chairman of an independent investigation into conduct which includes allegations of potential coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russians, or he is going to act as a surrogate of the White House, because he cannot do both,” Schiff said.

McCain, however, said both men had erred in their statements, while stressing that he did not feel Russia achieved their goal of "affecting the outcome" of the 2016 election.

"There is no substantiation for what Chairman Nunes said, nor is there substantiation for what Congressman Schiff said," McCain added.

In an interview Thursday on the "Today" show, McCain reiterated that Nunes' public statements were highly unusual.

"I have not seen anything like it, and it’s very disturbing," McCain said.