Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) responded to a New York Times article indicating President Trump Donald John TrumpUS reimposes UN sanctions on Iran amid increasing tensions Jeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Trump supporters chant 'Fill that seat' at North Carolina rally MORE tried to fire special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE last year with a renewed call for the Senate to take up bills aimed at protecting the special counsel.

Blumenthal, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a tweet Thursday night calling Trump's reported move to fire Mueller "deeply scary" and "stunning."

"Stunning, deeply scary Trump move to fire Mueller raises need for Special Counsel protection bill immediately. Judiciary Committee must approve and Congress must pass," Blumenthal tweeted.

Stunning, deeply scary Trump move to fire Mueller raises need for Special Counsel protection bill immediately. Judiciary Committee must approve and Congress must pass. https://t.co/hFsva7yXLr — Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) January 25, 2018

His comments come after the Times reported that White House counsel Don McGahn threatened to resign over Trump's order to fire Mueller last June, forcing the president to back down.

ADVERTISEMENT

Blumenthal was an early supporter last year of a bipartisan bill from Sens. Cory Booker Cory Anthony BookerBipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death DHS opens probe into allegations at Georgia ICE facility Democratic lawmakers call for an investigation into allegations of medical neglect at Georgia ICE facility MORE (D-N.J.) and Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamMomentum growing among Republicans for Supreme Court vote before Election Day Video of Lindsey Graham arguing against nominating a Supreme Court justice in an election year goes viral Warning signs flash for Lindsey Graham in South Carolina MORE (R-S.C.) that would require a judge to approve a Justice Department request to fire Mueller or any other special counsel. Any appeal of the decision would go to the Supreme Court.

"Our bill allows judicial review of any decision to terminate a special counsel to make sure it’s done for the reasons cited in the regulation rather than political motivation. I think this will serve the country well," Graham said in a statement last year.

Several bills aimed at protecting Mueller or another special counsel have been filed in the Senate, but none have made it to the floor for a vote.