Washington — Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement on recent statements by the president:

"I'm growing increasingly concerned that the president will attempt to fire not only Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating possible obstruction of justice, but also Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein who appointed Mueller.

"The message the president is sending through his tweets is that he believes the rule of law doesn’t apply to him and that anyone who thinks otherwise will be fired. That’s undemocratic on its face and a blatant violation of the president’s oath of office.

"First of all, the president has no authority to fire Robert Mueller. That authority clearly lies with the attorney general — or in this case, because the attorney general has recused himself, with the deputy attorney general. Rosenstein testified under oath this week that he would not fire Mueller without good cause and that none exists.

"And second, if the president thinks he can fire Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein and replace him with someone who will shut down the investigation, he’s in for a rude awakening. Even his staunchest supporters will balk at such a blatant effort to subvert the law.

"It's becoming clear to me that the president has embarked on an effort to undermine anyone with the ability to bring any misdeeds to light, be that Congress, the media or the Justice Department. The Senate should not let that happen. We’re a nation of laws that apply equally to everyone, a lesson the president would be wise to learn."

Editor's Note: This weekend we're viewing on film All the President's Men which we're picking up from our local library and, as well, we plan to look at the MSNBC program (9 pyem, Eastern) All the President's Men Revisited. I was  working at Time Magazine when these events transpired.

— T. G.