Russia 'the political equivalent of 9/11' -- and Trump might ignore it: Democratic Congressman

One Democratic Congressman called the Russia invasion of the 2016 election "the political equivalent of 9/11," during a CNN interview Wednesday.

"A continued attack on the rule of law," Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) told Wolf Blitzer. "I have often said, what the Russians did was the political equivalent of 9/11. When this is all over, I'm worried that the president's reaction to what the Russians did will have a longer term, more lasting impact on the rule of law and our country."

He went on to say that a big concern he has is that former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and the president were sharing information about what the Justice Department was doing on the investigation.

"Did he share with him information about the investigation? This goes from being unethical to extraordinarily illegal," he said.

Quigley said that Whitaker should have been aware of investigations in the Southern District of New York and that the president was potentially implicated.

"From what he said his knowledge of the case," Quigley continued. "So he is now using his office to help someone implicated in the case with -- no other way to describe it. With the defense of their case. Again, it's not just unethical. It's illegal. It's an extraordinary broadside on the rule of law."

Watch the full interview below: