MSNBC legal analyst demands Republicans be held accountable when they bash Trump: 'What are you doing about it?'

Above The Law editor, Elie Mystal wants to see Republicans held to account if they stand up to President Donald Trump. According to the MSNBC commentator, speaking out against the president is easy, but doing something about it seems to be where Republicans lose their nerve.

"The problem with this good cop/bad cop strategy is that it takes all of the pressure off the alleged good cops, right?" Mystal said during a Sunday panel discussion. "We're so -- 'Dan Coats, you said something true! Wow!' -- that people aren't asking the followup of 'What are you doing about it?'"

He argued that the result is that they get a quick talking point that earns them a momentary celebration that disappears with the next Trump tweet.

"So Coats and Nelson want to say, 'OK, the Russians definitely meddled,'" he continued until he was interrupted by Republican strategist Noelle Nikpour.

"What are they going to do, challenge the president?" she asked.

"Yes!" Mystal exclaimed.

Host Yasmin Vossoughian noted that the Coats challenged the president "without directly challenging" him during a Q&A at the security conference in Aspen with Andrea Mitchell.

"If you're putting America first. These people have a responsibility to protect us," said Mystal. "And we're not asking those questions. I think we're assuming the president won't. So, if the president won't stand up, these people are the ones who have the responsibility to do it. And we're not asking tough enough questions of these people to figure out what they're doing to protect us going forward."

Watch the discussion below: