GOP senator says it 'probably wouldn't hurt' to protect Robert Mueller from being fired by Trump

It wouldn't be a bad idea for Congress to pass legislation protecting Robert Mueller and special counsels in general from unjustified firing by the president, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said on CNN's State of the Union Sunday.

"There are some constitutional issues with those bills," she said of bipartisan proposals currently on offer, "but it would certainly not hurt to put that extra safeguard in place, given the latest stories" about President Trump's canceled plan to fire Mueller last summer.

Collins also expressed confidence that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees Mueller's probe into Russian election meddling and alleged Trump campaign collusion, is "going to do what he told me he would do." Trump is reportedly displeased with Rosenstein, recently telling White House staff he should be fired.

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Another prominent congressional Republican, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), likewise argued on ABC Sunday it "would be good to have legislation protecting all special counsels." Graham is the co-author of a bill requiring a three-judge panel to approve a special counsel's firing.

Watch an excerpt of Collins' comments below. Bonnie Kristian