Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerJacobin editor: Primarying Schumer would force him to fight Trump's SCOTUS nominee CNN's Toobin: Democrats are 'wimps' who won't 'have the guts' to add Supreme Court seats Republican senator says plans to confirm justice before election 'completely consistent with the precedent' MORE (N.Y.) on Tuesday called on Senate GOP leaders to bring legislation to the floor that would protect 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 from being fired in the midst of heightened tension over his investigation into Russian election meddling.

Schumer called for new protections of Mueller hours after the FBI raided the Manhattan office of Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, enraging the president.

The Democratic leader warned that Mueller’s investigation must be allowed to proceed unimpeded to avoid a constitutional crisis.

He noted that there are several bipartisan bills to protect the special counsel.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Let us take steps to protect the special counsel from political interference. We have several bipartisan bills designed to do just that. Majority Leader [Mitch] McConnell should bring them to the floor and let us debate them very soon,” Schumer said.

Trump blasted the Department of Justice Tuesday morning after FBI agents used a search warrant to seize documents from Cohen’s office and residence on Monday afternoon.

“Attorney–client privilege is dead!” he tweeted. “A TOTAL WITCH HUNT!!!”

Trump did not rule out firing Mueller while speaking to reporters before a White House meeting on Monday.

Calling the investigation a “disgrace,” Trump said, “Many people have said, ‘You should fire him.’”

Schumer defended the raid as being approved by lifelong public officials, noting there was a high bar for them to obtain a warrant.

“Law enforcement officers believe there’s a good chance that the attorney for [the] president committed [a] crime or was involved in fraud where they couldn’t have gotten the okay from the magistrate to make these seizures,” Schumer said.

Democrats and a few Republicans have pushed in recent months for legislation to protect the special counsel’s independence.

Sen. Thom Tillis Thomas (Thom) Roland TillisGrassley, Ernst pledge to 'evaluate' Trump's Supreme Court nominee Trump to include North Carolina in offshore drilling moratorium, senator says Biden's six best bets in 2016 Trump states MORE (R-N.C.) last year floated a bill that would empower judges to reinstate Mueller if a court found his firing to be improper.

That bill was cosponsored by Sen. Christopher Coons Christopher (Chris) Andrew CoonsMurkowski: Supreme Court nominee should not be taken up before election Battle lines drawn on precedent in Supreme Court fight Sunday shows - Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death dominates MORE (D-Del.).

Another bipartisan bill sponsored by Sens. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamGraham: GOP will confirm Trump's Supreme Court nominee before the election Fox's Napolitano: Supreme Court confirmation hearings will be 'World War III of political battles' Grassley, Ernst pledge to 'evaluate' Trump's Supreme Court nominee MORE (R-S.C.) and 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.) would require judicial approval of any effort by the Justice Department to fire Mueller.

Most Republicans, including GOP leaders, however, have argued prior to this week that legislation is not necessary because Trump is unlikely to fire Mueller.

Trump would likely need the sign-off of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Rod RosensteinDOJ kept investigators from completing probe of Trump ties to Russia: report Five takeaways from final Senate Intel Russia report FBI officials hid copies of Russia probe documents fearing Trump interference: book MORE to dismiss Mueller. Rosenstein is working closely with the special counsel and has repeatedly said he has no cause to fire him.

Senate Republican Whip John Cornyn John CornynTumultuous court battle upends fight for Senate Texas Democrats roll out first wave of planned digital ads as Election Day nears Calls grow for Biden to expand election map in final sprint MORE (Texas) told reporters last month that “I just think it’s not necessary” when asked about a bill to protect the special counsel, and noted that such a bill would need Trump’s signature to become law.

Schumer, however, argued that Republicans can no longer be confident that Trump won't act.

“For months Republicans have said that legislation to protect the special counsel is not needed because they’ve been assured by nameless people that the president won’t fire the special counsel,” he said. “That assurance has been shaken by the president’s comments last night.”

Trump again criticized Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsGOP set to release controversial Biden report Trump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status MORE on Monday for recusing himself from investigations related to possible Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Sessions's recusal is what put Rosenstein in charge of the probe.

“The attorney general made a terrible mistake when he did this and when he recused himself,” the president fumed, adding that he would have picked a different attorney general had he known Sessions would recuse himself.