Sen. Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioFlorida senators pushing to keep Daylight Savings Time during pandemic Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings MORE (R-Fla.) responded to President Trump's claim that he is the victim of a "witch hunt" on Thursday by saying the United States is a "nation of laws."

“The president is entitled to his opinion, but we’re a nation of laws,” Rubio told reporters, referring to the special counsel recently appointed to investigate Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election, including any ties between Moscow and members of Trump's campaign team.

“That’s not a criticism of the president. That is a reality that our institutions work. The acting attorney general has the authority to appoint a special counsel and has done so,” he added.

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The Justice Department appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller Wednesday to lead the Russia probe.

Trump criticized the move earlier Thursday.

“This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!” he tweeted.

Rubio called Mueller “a person of high esteem.”

“I have full confidence he will conduct an independent, thorough and fair investigation,” he said.