Graham in no rush to protect Mueller

Just last month he suggested he would advance bipartisan legislation to protect the special counsel if the probe is still live by the end of February.But Graham said recently he isn’t worried about the president, who continues to rage against a “witch hunt” that has secured a growing set of indictments and convictions, including of some close Trump campaign associates.“I see no indication that he is going to do anything untoward toward Mr. Mueller, none,” said Graham.His colleagues on the Judiciary Committee aren’t so sure — and they’re pushing Graham to act.A daily play-by-play of congressional news in your inbox.By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. “I look forward to talking to him about why I think there continues to be urgency around protecting the special counsel.”Graham has never kept his opinions to himself — expounding on what the president must do for political survival or laying out exactly what’s needed to cut an immigration deal.But now that he’s Judiciary chairman, with jurisdiction over the Mueller bill, immigration, guns and more, he’ll be judged on more than just his rhetoric.While he’ll be aided by his close ties to Trump as well as a history of bipartisanship, it’s not clear that will be enough amid an erratic presidency and polarized Congress. Last year, the Judiciary Committee approved the Mueller protection bill 14-7 despite opposition from the White House and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).Graham told reporters at the time that the Judiciary Committee “has an independent obligation to do what we think's best” and the special counsel “now and in the future needs protection.”McConnell kept the bill bottled up the rest of the previous Congress, and he’s shown no willingness to reverse course — a reality that is likely to weigh on Graham, who has also cultivated ties with Trump after clashing with him in the 2016 campaign.“I think Leader McConnell has sent the signal pretty strongly that he doesn’t want those bills brought up and I suspect that Lindsey, as a new chairman, will want to pick his fights about crossing Leader McConnell when he’s made his position so clear,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), another committee member.