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.) on Thursday said he believes President Trump "crossed a line" in his interactions with former FBI Director James Comey.

In an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Coons, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, was asked whether he believes President Trump obstructed justice.

Coons said he would approach the question "carefully," declining to directly answer whether he thinks Trump obstructed justice.

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"I think the statements that we're going to hear today from former FBI Director Jim Comey make it clear that the president crossed a line, that the president engaged in unwise and unethical conduct," he said.

"Whether it meets the legal standard for obstruction of justice is a decision for a prosecutor to make, but this certainly suggests, I think, to all of us in the United States Senate, that we've got a president who is operating well outside the acceptable boundaries with regard to federal law enforcement."

When pressed on whether he sees anything illegal in Comey's prepared testimony released Wednesday, Coons said: "It is right up against that line."

"There are key issues here of intent and context," Coons said.

Coons also called it "completely unacceptable" for the president to request loyalty from the FBI director and to request that he drop a federal investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

"President Trump either doesn't understand or doesn't care about the longstanding importance of the independence of the FBI director," Coons said.

Trump repeatedly sought to influence the FBI’s investigation into Russian election meddling before firing Comey as the bureau’s director, according to testimony that Comey is set to deliver Thursday.

Comey’s opening statement details multiple interactions with the president, including a January dinner at the White House where Trump said he needed and expected the FBI director’s loyalty.