Sen. Chuck Grassley nearly topples a row of American flags fleeing questions about Mueller indictments

It is an awkward time to be the Republican chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Monday went as far as to clamber through a row of American flags — nearly toppling them over — to squeeze his way out of a press conference where reporters refused to stay on the preordained topic of judicial confirmations, CNN reports:

"Anybody have any questions for Sen. Grassley, or anybody else here, on this topic?" Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) attempted to direct. When it became clear that there wasn't, Grassley made his ungraceful exit.

Grassley and the Judiciary Committee are separately investigating Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election. As many observed on Monday, the unsealing of the George Papadopoulos indictment revealed just how much Special Counsel Robert Mueller has managed to uncover that hasn't been on the various Senate committees' "radars."

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Grassley did throw reporters a bone earlier Monday: "All I know at this point is the president should let the special counsel do his job," he cryptically warned.