Article snippet: Republican lawmakers on Sunday grappled with the potential need to protect special counsel MORE called for his firing last year. Hosts on the Sunday shows questioned lawmakers about the revelations in The New York Times report and what they mean for the investigation into Russia’s election interference and any potential ties between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Sen. MORE (R-Maine), a key Republican who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is conducting its own Russia probe, said it “wouldn’t hurt” to pass legislation protecting Mueller. “It certainly wouldn’t hurt to put that extra safeguard in place given the latest stories,” she told CNN’s “State of the Union.” Collins also noted that only Deputy Attorney General MORE, could fire the special counsel. Sen. MORE (R-S.C.), who last year proposed legislation protecting Mueller, said the special counsel should “look at” the Times’s report. "I don't know if the story is true or not, but I know this: Mueller should look at it," he told ABC's "This Week." Graham, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is conducting its own Russia probe, also said firing Mueller would end Trump’s tenure. "I don't know what happened last year, but it's pretty clear to me that everybody in the White House knows it would be the end of President Trump's presidency if he fired Mr. Mueller,” he told ABC. Some Republicans have criticized the special counsel’s probe over anti-Trump text messages exchanged betwee... Link to the full article to read more