Sen. Brian Schatz Brian Emanuel SchatzCDC causes new storm by pulling coronavirus guidance Overnight Health Care: CDC pulls revised guidance on coronavirus | Government watchdog finds supply shortages are harming US response | As virus pummels US, Europe sees its own spike Video of Lindsey Graham arguing against nominating a Supreme Court justice in an election year goes viral MORE (D-Hawaii) compared President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE to former President Nixon after it was revealed Saturday that his lawyers sent 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 a 20-page letter arguing that he couldn’t obstruct justice.

The confidential letter, which was obtained by The New York Times, argues that the Constitution gives the president the broad authority to, "if he wished, terminate the inquiry, or even exercise his power to pardon."

Schatz responded to the news hours later, tweeting: “ 'When the President does it, that means it’s not illegal.' Nixon, 1977 Also: Trump 2018.”

The President, through his lawyers, offered a 20 page document asserting he is above the law. This is neither an open question nor a partisan matter. No one is above the law, especially not the most powerful person on the earth. — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) June 2, 2018

“When the President does it, that means it’s not illegal.”

Nixon, 1977

Also: Trump 2018 — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) June 2, 2018

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“The President, through his lawyers, offered a 20 page document asserting he is above the law. This is neither an open question nor a partisan matter,” Schatz also tweeted. “No one is above the law, especially not the most powerful person on the earth."

The Times was the first to report on the existence of the letter, although the president appeared to foreshadow the newspaper's scoop minutes before it was published on Saturday. Trump questioned whether Mueller's office or the Justice Department had leaked his legal team's letter to the media.

"There was No Collusion with Russia (except by the Democrats)," Trump tweeted shortly before the Times story was published.

"When will this very expensive Witch Hunt Hoax ever end? So bad for our Country. Is the Special Counsel/Justice Department leaking my lawyers letters to the Fake News Media? Should be looking at Dems corruption instead?"