LAS VEGAS — Sen. Dean Heller Dean Arthur HellerOn The Trail: Democrats plan to hammer Trump on Social Security, Medicare Lobbying World Democrats spend big to put Senate in play MORE (R) said Friday he believes a special prosecutor should be appointed to look into links between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives if investigations currently ongoing in the House and Senate encounter obstacles.

Heller, the most vulnerable Republican senator up for re-election in 2018, said he was troubled by Trump’s claim that he was thinking about current investigations when he made the decision to fire FBI director James Comey this week.

“I'm uncomfortable with the timing of all this, and that's why I think an independent prosecutor should be on the table if in fact the select committee in the Senate and the House cannot get to answers,” Heller told reporters after addressing a local chamber of commerce event.

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Sens. Richard Burr Richard Mauze BurrRep. Mark Walker says he's been contacted about Liberty University vacancy Overnight Defense: Trump rejects major cut to military health care | Senate report says Trump campaign's Russia contacts posed 'grave' threat Senate report describes closer ties between 2016 Trump campaign, Russia MORE (R-N.C.) and Mark Warner Mark Robert WarnerIntelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings Overnight Defense: Trump hosts Israel, UAE, Bahrain for historic signing l Air Force reveals it secretly built and flew new fighter jet l Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' House approves bill to secure internet-connected federal devices against cyber threats MORE (D-Va.), the chairman and ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, “are two very good senators, and I have a tremendous amount of confidence” in them, Heller said. “But if they hit roadblocks, if they're not able to get the answers they want or need, I believe a special prosecutor should be on the table.”

On Thursday, Trump told NBC News the Russia investigation was on his mind when he made the decision to fire Comey, even before he asked Justice Department officials to write a memo justifying Comey's ouster.

“In fact, when I decided to just do it [fire Comey], I said to myself, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story, it's an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election they should have won,” Trump told NBC's Lester Holt.

Heller called Comey a “Boy Scout.”

Asked his impressions of Trump's first four months in office, Heller said he was “concerned” about some things he saw coming out of the White House.

“Trump is president of the United States, and he will be president of the United States for the next three and three quarter years. And so my job as a United States Senator is to help him succeed. In doing that, everybody, everybody succeeds with that.”