Sen. Joe Manchin expressed worry over the future of the Justice Department’s investigation into whether or not the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election. | Patrick Smith/Getty Images Politics Manchin: Sessions firing puts U.S. 'on the verge' of constitutional crisis

Sen. Joe Manchin on Thursday warned that the firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, as well as his replacement by an acting attorney general loyal to President Donald Trump, has put the country “on the verge” of a constitutional crisis.

In an interview on “CBS This Morning,” Manchin (D-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told anchor Norah O’Donnell that “it's a big mistake to let Jeff Sessions go.”


Manchin praised Sessions, whom he called a good friend, as a “good person” who is “grounded” and committed to the rule of law and he expressed worry over the future of the Justice Department’s investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election.

Sessions recused himself from the probe early on after it was revealed that Sessions had met with the then-Russian ambassador while he served as an adviser to Trump during the campaign, despite previously claiming he had no contacts with Russians.

Though Sessions was among Trump’s earliest and most loyal backers in Congress, the president viewed his recusal as a betrayal, and the move marked the beginning of the end for Sessions’ time as the nation’s top cop.

POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Sessions’ temporary replacement, his chief of staff Matt Whitaker, has been vocal in his opposition to special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe, an investigation Trump has labeled a "witch hunt." His ascendance to acting attorney general, which pushed Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein out as overseer of the Mueller probe, has prompted indignation from Democrats and caution from some Republicans that the special counsel's office should not be tampered with.

Democrats have cried foul over the president installing a loyalist atop the Justice Department so soon after Democrats won control of the House in Tuesday’s midterms. Manchin echoed those fears on Thursday.

“What raises my concerns is a person that's been so vocal against the investigation that was going on now putting in charge a day after the election. I think that sheds bad light on it. I think that gives concern to every senator — Democrat and Republican,” he said.

“If they pull Rosenstein out, which they've done, then we're in trouble,” he added.

Trump’s ouster of Sessions has drawn promises of investigations by Democrats on the HIll, and a group of Democratic lawmakers has already asked the Trump administration to preserve documents relating to his dismissal and Mueller’s investigation. But Manchin said he expects the Senate to act on legislation that would shield Mueller when the chamber returns on Tuesday.

“What we'll do is go back on Tuesday and I think that we have legislation ready to go that protected Mueller, kept him in place, let him complete and finish,” he said. “I would hope that we can bring that back up, have the support, bipartisan support to protect this investigation to get it completed.”