The first crack?

The legal bombshells that exploded around President Donald Trump on Tuesday sent most congressional Republicans diving for cover. Rep. Tom Cole isn't one of them.

The Oklahoma conservative, in a Wednesday interview, didn't hide his alarm over the eight felony convictions of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and eight felony guilty pleas by Trump lawyer Michael Cohen. He warned his party against retreating into "a fantasy world" that assumes Trump's predicament is not both disturbing and hazardous for the GOP.

The allegation that Trump ordered crimes to which Cohen has pleaded guilty is "potentially very dangerous," the eight-term lawmaker said. Taken together, he added, the Manafort and Cohen cases weaken the Republican campaign to keep control of Congress so long as Democrats don't overplay their hand with a rush toward impeachment.

And as Robert Mueller's Russia investigation continues, Cole didn't rule out even a GOP Congress acting to cut Trump's presidency short.

"If something comes out that is clear and convincing and impeachable, I think members will act," Cole said. He called it "too soon" for a congressional impeachment inquiry, though "I'll leave that to the Judiciary Committee."

Cole's words represent a red flag for fellow Republicans. A former chair of the Oklahoma GOP, chief of staff for the national party and head of the House campaign committee, he is among the most politically savvy members of the Republican caucus.

The most immediate consequence of Tuesday's legal developments, he said, is provide Mueller with additional insulation from Trump allies seeking to shut down his investigation. Though the Manafort charges didn't concern Russian meddling, he explained, the guilty verdicts mean "you can't dismiss it as a witch hunt."

"I don't know what it is," Cole said of the special counsel probe. "Yesterday was a pretty sobering day. The Mueller probe needs to be allowed to proceed."