Sen. Coons: 'Reason To Think' Trump's Behavior Was Illegal

Morning Joe's Willie Geist asked Delaware Sen. Chris Coons what he thought about James Comey's opening statement.

"The term obstruction of justice has been thrown around pretty loosely in regards to this investigation and Donald Trump's relationship with former Director Comey," Geist said.

"Based on what you read in Director Comey's statement yesterday and perhaps from what we'll see today in questioning that there's obstruction of justice. If so, how do you define that? what did he do to cross that line?"

Coons responded that, as an attorney, he would approach that question "very carefully."

"I think that's the point of having an investigation led by Bob Mueller, a very seasoned, senior law enforcement official. As I said, i think the statements we'll hear today from former FBI Director Jim Comey make it clear that the president crossed a line, the president engaged in unwise and unethical conduct," Coons said.

"Whether it meets the line of obstruction of justice is up for the prosecutor to make. This certainly suggests to all of us in the United States Senate that we've got a president who is operating well outside the acceptable boundaries.I think that's frankly why you don't have Republican senators on the show this morning defending President Trump's actions.

Geist asked if he saw anything illegal described in Comey's statement.

"It is right up against that line," Coons said. "There are key issues of intent and context. certainly if I were being asked to make a judgment on that, I think there's reason to."