Tom Udall: “I come to the floor today to speak a little bit about the rule of law and President Trump's approach to what has…”

“I come to the floor today to speak a little bit about the rule of law and President Trump's approach to what has happened as far as the Mueller investigation. The rule of law has protected our Nation's democracy, institutions, and citizens for over 200 years. It means that no one person is above the law--no one--not even the President. President Trump does not seem to respect the rule of law. He acts as if the law doesn't apply to him. He believes that he can steer the wheels of justice in whichever direction he wants to shield himself from lawful investigation. This President is willing to risk national security, to defy the judgment of the FBI Director and his team, and to release classified material for his own political purposes. Think about that. The President of the United States just declassified a top-secret document, and he did it with the clear intent to undermine the investigation into Russian interference in our election. His actions should end any doubt about his willingness to obstruct justice. After he declassified the Nunes memo, President Trump said: ``A lot of people should be ashamed of themselves. It's a disgrace, what's happened in our country.'' This is one of the rare times I have agreed with President Trump. It is a disgrace, what has happened in our country, but not for the reasons the President gives. Russia's cyber attacks and other potential operations during the 2016 election represented a direct strike at our democracy.…”