House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) makes remarks a day after the Midterm Elections, in which the Senate Republicans retained their majority as the House saw Democrats sweep into control, and a possible return as Speaker for Pelosi, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 7, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Theiler

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump’s firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions is a “blatant attempt” to undermine and end the special counsel’s probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. elections, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday.

Pelosi, in a statement posted on Twitter, called for the acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, to recuse himself from any involvement in the probe, citing what she called his “record of threats to undermine & weaken” it.

“Congress must take immediate action to protect the rule of law and integrity of the investigation,” she said, echoing a call earlier in the day from the No. 2 Democrat in the House, Steny Hoyer.