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U.S. House Impeaches President Donald Trump; Large Public Gatherings Banned, March Permits Denied; Police, Protesters Clash After Football Match; Australia Struggles With Record-Breaking Heat Wave; U.S. House Impeaches President Donald Trump; Aung San Suu Kyi Thanks Supporters after Hague Appearance. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired December 19, 2019 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00]
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Studio 7 at CNN World Headquarters. Coming up this hour, Donald Trump impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. But his trial in the U.S. Senate now seems to be on hold. A dramatic twist at the end of a predictable day.
The fate of India's citizenship law which has sparked a week of nationwide protests could be decided by Indian Supreme Court, a ruling expected next month. And surrounded by flames, bushfires a raging to the northwest and south of Sydney and conditions are set to get worse with strong gusty winds and soaring temperatures.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
VAUSE: The outcome was preordained. The six hours of debate, a rehash of old arguments made by Republicans and Democrats. The only point both sides agreed on, this was a sad day a very, very sad day. The final mostly party-line votes with two Democrats break ranks and vote against impeachment, not one Republican voted in favor. But regardless of that, Donald J. Trump now has his place in history, the third U.S. president to be impeached.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): December 18th, a great day to the Constitution of the United States, a sad one for America that the President's reckless activities necessitated us are having to introduce articles of impeachment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Within moments of Speaker Nancy Pelosi banging the gavel on impeachment, Donald Trump took to the stage at a campaign rally in Michigan. For two hours he lashed out the Democrats warned they would pay a high price in next year's election. And while protesting his innocence, the president claimed he was really having a good time. But perhaps most important of all for the future of his presidency, Donald Trump paid tribute to what appears to be rock-solid support from Congressional Republicans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think we have a vote coming in. So we got every single Republican voted for us. Wow. Wow, almost 200.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And the President will need that Republican support when the impeachment process moves to a trial in the Senate. Only now, it seems that could be a case of if there's a trial because House Speaker Pelosi has now delayed sending the Articles of Impeachment to the Upper House after the Senate Republicans publicly bragged the outcome of that trial was a foregone conclusion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Could you presumably withhold the articles for weeks until you get what you consider a fair trial?
PELOSI: Well, again, we'll decide what that dynamic is. But we hoped that the resolution of that process will be soon and the Senate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: It was a dramatic and unexpected end to a predictable and partisan day. We begin our coverage with CNN's Alex Marquardt reporting in from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Speaker Nancy Pelosi opening the proceedings, trying to emphasize a solemn and sad day.
PELOSI: If we do not act now, we would be derelict in our duty. It is tragic that the President's reckless actions make impeachment necessary. He gave us no choice. What we are discussing today is the established fact that the President violated the constitution.
MARQUARDT: That touched off hours of fierce often angry arguments before the final impeachment vote.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This impeachment is based purely on partisan motives.
MARQUARDT: As members rose one by one to speak for or against the two impeachment charges.
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): The Democrats know there is zero direct evidence in this record of these proceedings to show that President Trump engaged in any abuse of power. As you'll hear today, their entire case is based on hearsay, speculation, and conjecture. MARQUARDT: Democrats insisting they didn't come to Congress to impeach but the amount of evidence against the president abusing his office and pressuring Ukraine forcing them to this point.
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): But for the courage of someone willing to blow the whistle, he would have gotten away with it. Instead, he got caught. He tried to cheat and he got caught.
MARQUARDT: The President is a clear and present danger to national security, Democrats argued, saying Trump's efforts to get foreign powers to interfere are not over.
REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): This is a crime spree in progress, but we know how to stop it, courage.
[01:05:02]
REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): He solicited foreign interference before, he is doing it now, and he will do it again. The President is the smoking gun.
MARQUARDT: The Republicans universally defended the president.
REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): This impeachment is a slap in the face to the millions of Americans who voted for President Trump.
MARQUARDT: Blasting the process for disenfranchising Trump's voters.
REP. MIKE ROGERS (R-MI): It's a sham, a witch hunt, and is tantamount to a coup against a duly elected President of the United States.
MARQUARDT: Even comparing impeachment to the persecution of Jesus.
REP. BARRY LOUDERMILK (R-GA): During that sham trial, Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus than the Democrats have afforded this president in this process.
MARQUARDT: The one thing both sides agreed on, the date would go down in history.
REP. MIKE KELLY (R-PA): Today, December 18th, 2019 is another date that will live in infamy.
REP. TED LIEU (D-CA): And whether Donald Trump leaves in one month, one year, or five years, this impeachment is permanent. It will follow him around for the rest of his life and history books will record it. And if people will know why we impeached, it's all very simple. No one's above the law.
MARQUARDT: Alex Marquardt, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Joining us out from Washington is Tim Naftali, CNN Presidential Historian and the former Director of the Nixon Presidential Library. So, Tim, I want to settle for this word that we're getting from Democrats, that basically, Nancy Pelosi is now thinking about not referring the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, and this would delay the trial of Donald Trump. And the logical, the legal reasoning is coming at least in part from Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Tribe.
He wrote an op-ed, some have asked what would give the House power to take the step of impeaching the president, but withhold pressing his articles of impeachment in the Senate. I turn the question around, he writes. Where in the constitution or in the history or theory of its interpretation, is that principle located? In fact, it's entirely made, up found nowhere in our constitutional constellation.
So I guess the theory is that, you know, by delaying sending these articles of impeachment, the Democrats got a bit of leverage over the Republicans. They can actually maybe force Mitch McConnell to conduct a real trial call witnesses, that kind of thing. But terms of leverage, it seems a bit like you know, bringing covered dish to a knife fight.
TIMOTHY NAFTALI, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: What Nancy Pelosi did at the end of the -- of the day or the evening was unprecedented. She surprised all of us by deciding not to hand over the articles to the Senate. Tonight, what normally would happen is you would have -- the House would vote -- would select managers. I believe there were something on the order of 13 or 17 managers for the Clinton trial. But they didn't.
In fact, instead of voting for managers, Speaker Pelosi had a news conference with all of the chairs except unfortunately for Elijah Cummings, around her, those who played a role in the impeachment, and then she surprised everyone by saying that in fact, not only was she not going to hand over the articles after selecting managers, but -- and then she read from obviously a prepared list of statements. She'd read statements that Mitch McConnell was the majority leader in the Senate had made, which suggested strongly that he was not actually going to be an impartial juror as he's supposed to be in an eventual presidential trial.
And she said on the basis of these facts, she's going to withhold these articles until -- and then she wasn't very -- she's very vague -- until her either conditions were satisfied or she was satisfied that there would be a fair trial in the Senate. Well, that's fairly interesting, because we don't know really if she has much leverage.
I mean, after all, Mitch McConnell has an interest perhaps in not having a trial. Mitch McConnell also could just play chicken with her and say, OK, I'm not going to have a trial, we're not going to have a trial until you give me articles. And then Nancy Pelosi has to decide whether she wants to hand them over not.
And then if she decides that well, we do want to trial, then she's going to look rather weak, because she's given into Mitch McConnell without anything in return. So maybe there's a strategy there. She has been thus far very direct, very thoughtful. And it's clear that she understood how this impeachment would run. At this point, this seems to be a little bit more improvisational. So we are going to wait and see what happens tomorrow and the next few days. I'm just not so sure that she has that much leverage since Mitch McConnell doesn't really have an interest in having a trial. It's the Democrats really more than -- more than the Republicans who seemed to have an interest in a trial.
VAUSE: Could you argue that the President Donald Trump is eager to be acquitted no matter how he is acquitted whether it's by you know, state sham trial that Mitch McConnell is proposing, he still gets acquitted. He still gets to boast that he did nothing wrong.
NAFTALI: Well, we'll see. I mean, what's interesting -- and, look, a lot of this is playing out as we speak, so it's hard to predict the future. As I mentioned earlier, this is unprecedented. Some of what we saw today fit sort of historical norms. But what happened tonight does not.
So the President has an interest in being acquitted. But the President who has been calling this whole process of sham process might actually take advantage of Speaker Pelosi's maneuver to say, look here, showed you, they don't really want a trial, they just wanted a little show in the House. So it's not clear how the president at this point would play it out.
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VAUSE: Just with regards to the legal argument here which is being put forward by Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Tribe, are we now at this point where it's all about negative affirmation. In other words, fight and there's nothing which explicitly states a certain action is illegal, then Congress or the executive, allowed to carry it out?
NAFTALI: Well, I didn't go to law school. And one of the things I've learned from studying history and loving the study of history is how messy it can be. Right now, we're in a very messy moment. It's not clear to me what happens next. There are some possible outcomes, but it's not clear.
I will say this. Today, the President of the United States was impeached. It's only the third time in history that this has happened. Donald Trump is the first modern president to be impeached for an abuse of power. And that should be the story of the day. This maneuver at the end of the day might actually distract from the very historic significance or historical significance of what occurred earlier in the day.
I don't know what's going to come of Speaker Pelosi is gambit. There's no doubt that Majority Leader McConnell has said things he should not have said and has laid the foundation for a bad process in the Senate. But whether the House's response should be to pretend to withhold the articles is anybody's guess.
VAUSE: I'm just finding what seemed, you know, sort of staged and scripted today. It was the Democrats and Republicans, they did not go off script, they did not deviate from their talking points. It was just incredibly predictable for the most part. And in some ways that seem to take away from -- you know, from the gravitas and you know, the seriousness of today.
NAFTALI: I think there was -- and I think the President set this tone. There was a contempt for the entire process. Very few Republicans, very few really wanted to get into the details of the President's conduct. And when they did get into the details of the President's conduct, they only wanted to talk about the transcript of the July 25th call.
They didn't want to talk about the context that we learned about through all of those depositions and the testimony under oath. They also kept making this point which viewers abroad will understand, they kept saying that Ukraine had never admitted that there was a quid pro quo or pressure.
But let me ask anybody, would the leader of a sovereign country -- would it be the interests of the leader of a sovereign country to admit that they had -- there was an attempted blackmail by the President of the United States, particularly a sovereign country with a very violent border next to an aggressive, great power?
What sovereign leader would want to admit that they had been under -- put under pressure by the United States? So I would -- I found it not terribly helpful to the Republicans' case that they kept citing the fact that President Zelensky had not agreed that there was a quid pro quo as evidence that there wasn't a quid pro quo.
VAUSE: Yes. He was sitting right next to President Trump when he was asked about it. It just seemed incredibly awkward moment. I don't know any leader who would actually come out --
NAFTALI: Of course. So if you make -- if that's the basis for your defense, then you don't have a defense.
VAUSE: Well, that's seems to be very much the case, but they certainly had a lot of theatrics and a lot of talking points. Tim, good to see you. Good to speak with you on a day like today. I appreciate it.
NAFTALI: Thanks, John. Big day, very important day in our history.
VAUSE: Well, after days of sometimes violent protests, police in India's capital, New Delhi, has stopped issuing permits for marches and rallies officially because of traffic and security concerns. Well, in the southern city of Bengaluru, gatherings of four people more are banned for the next two days.
There have been nationwide protests over a new law which excludes Muslims from our Fast Track citizenship process. Many believe the law is not only blatantly discriminating against Muslims, but also is a threat to India's constitution. Sam Kiley is live this hour in New Delhi. He joins us now. So Sam, you know, refusing permits in two cities, that may stop protesters from gathering there, but what are all the other cities where there have been unrest and violence in recent days?
[01:14:59] SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's about 15 different protests that were scheduled to be held right across the country here in Kolkata and Bengaluru, elsewhere. In most cases, the police have said that the demonstrations or the marches cannot go ahead. They say that the risk of violence is too high. And in one or two cases that there was a fear of clashes with counter protests. I haven't seen any evidence, I have to say of counter protests. But I'm here in just outside the Red Fort in Delhi, where there was -- the idea has been to march from here, about three hours across town to another location and be joined as part of that march.
All of these people who are opposing the CAA the new Citizenship Amendment Act, which is now an act of law. It is not something that has been proposed, it is now on the statute book. It's going to be challenged at a Supreme Court process beginning in January the 22nd next year. But, Nick, at the moment, the organizers of these marches are saying they're still going to go ahead. The problem is that there are a number of roadblocks that have been established around the city to try to prevent marches from joining the process. But at the moment, there's no signs of violence. It's quite hard, I have to say, to distinguish commuters from people who are joining the marches. But there have also been reports of people being bunched up by the police and escorted away, and in some cases, put on buses and driven away. The whole idea of the authorities is to try to prevent these marches from happening at all, Nick.
VAUSE: So, Sam, is this essentially a case that it appears that the government by -- or the police, rather --
KILEY: Oh, sorry.
VAUSE: -- by refusing to issue -- that's OK, it's John, Sam, but it's all good -- with the police refusing to see these permits, is that an attempt by the government to simply shut down the right to protest, the right to free speech?
KILEY: Well, that is what the allegation is coming from the opposition. The police perspective is that this is an entirely policing matter. And that this is all a process to try to downplay the potential for violence. There has been violence in northeast of -- northeastern part of Delhi two days ago. It was really quite heavy with the use of tear gas by the police and stone throwing by demonstrators. There was also violence blamed on the police at one of the Muslim-based universities here on Sunday.
So, the official line is certainly not about clamping down on the opportunity to free speech but the critics of the Modi government here would most certainly argue that in the context of internet blackouts in Kashmir, following the change of status of that region that you recall, John, several months ago, are now right through to internet blackouts that have been sporadically used to try to prevent coordination of opposition against this new act. And there is definitely, as far as the opposition are concerned, an effort to try to suppress free speech.
VAUSE: Sam, we appreciate the update. Sam Kiley there live in New Delhi, on the streets of New Delhi.
Next up here on CNN NEWSROOM, an already sizzling summer set to sizzle even more. Australia getting the record-breaking heat and firefighters battle unprecedented bushfires. Also ahead, one of the most anticipated football matches of the year descends into chaos. The protests which left Barcelona burning, next up here on CNN NEWSROOM.
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PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN INTERNATIONAL METEOROLOGIST: Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri with your CNN "WEATHER WATCH" time on a quiet day across much of North America. High pressure has established itself across portions of the Southeastern United States. Cold air firmly in place on this final Thursday of the autumn season. And really, the only area you're going to find some active weather to be had is across the northwestern region, where the storm track is wide open. And right into parts of the state of Oregon on into Washington.
[01:20:09]
So, we'll get some heavy rainfall. In particular, the northern area of the state of Oregon there, as much as a quarter of a meter of rainfall possible within the next couple of days. And then, of course, you climb over some of the higher elevations and that easily translates to some significant snow accumulations across that region, as well. So, we'll kind of watch the trend here across the southern U.S. begin to moderate a little bit across the Northwest also, going to improve when it comes to see some moderation and temperatures. But notice the trends still, of course, on the cold side in Minneapolis; three below eventually will take you up to three above. In New York City, from two below will eventually get you all the way up to seven above.
And of course, we know New Year's and Christmas just a few days away, so the forecast here an important one as you look forward. And here you go, looking forward to the next week or so across New York City, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, temps look to be around or above average also ought to remain dry. So, any travel plans across this quarter of the United States, at least, the weather pattern looks to cooperate across that region. Chicago will go with sunny skies on Thursday, highs around three.
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VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. A scoreless draw for Barcelona and Real Madrid when the rivals faced off in Spain, but after the game, police and protesters clashed; barricades were set on fire. CNN correspondent -- plumes of smoke rising across the Barcelona skyline. Protesters were demanding the Spanish government begin talks with Catalan independence activists. Football fans were ushered out of the stadium through a separate exit for security reasons.
Having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave, the temperature is rising and it is not surprising because of climate change and stuff, you know? And the heat wave is expected to make life difficult for fire crews in Australia, already facing an unprecedented bushfire season. And for the second time in the state of New South Wales, has declared a state of emergency because of flames surrounding the city of Sydney. Temperatures have hit a national average of almost 41 degrees Celsius. And the forecast is for hotter days ahead. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri is with us now at CNN World Weather Center. So, you know, it's hot down there. It's getting hotter, and these fires aren't going away.
JAVAHERI: Yes, not anytime soon. You know, we know the weather pattern, John, will change, at least the next couple of days. But of course, it will take weeks to get a lot of these fires under control. In fact, we've seen the numbers of uncontained fires here increased in the past couple of days. And notice this, going in 45, 46 degrees at this hour across a large area of the central region and also eastern areas of Australia. Right along the coast as you approach Sydney, temps have cooled off, but it was 41.5 degrees earlier this afternoon across Sydney. And of course, look at some of these preliminary highs that have come in for Thursday, pushing close to 50 degrees. So, we're talking remarkable heat here and easily going down as the hottest day so far this year across portions of Australia with this heat wave currently in progress.
Now, all of that heat eventually, of course, we've talked about it kind of shifting off towards the east, that happened earlier to the afternoon hours, sending Sydney up into the lower 40s. And of course, you notice the fire conditions nearby, certainly making it a smoggy go. Look at this incredible comparison of what is happening in Sydney at this hour. An air quality index of 413 which is in the hazardous category, significantly higher than what's happening in New Delhi, which is considered unhealthy. So, you kind of put this together and see how dangerous of a situation it's becoming, not just because of heat, but also the air quality across this region.
We do have a marine influence for portions of Australia that includes Sydney there, come Friday afternoon, a more comfortable 25 degree in store. But look at that incredible variance, still into the middle 40s in Adelaide. And Melbourne, as well, coming in at 44 degrees. The foreast in Sydney, once again, goes back up into the 30s. But this is the break we're looking for, getting potentially a cooler trend that comes around across portions of Australia within the next, say, three to four days.
[01:24:58]
And John, just getting word from the Bureau of Meteorology there across Australia, that the record high temperature that was broken just a couple of days ago, 40.9 across the continent there on Tuesday was now set to 41.9 for yesterday, for Wednesday, so the heat there even higher than the previous day, which was the all-time record. And notice, the previous all-time was 40.3. So, a significant spread now in the all-time record. It keeps getting broken every single day across this region. John?
VAUSE: So, at 2013 and 2019, and then the next day 2019, and barely a cool down, so it could be on track for yet another one. It's not good news. (CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: Thanks, Pedram.
JAVAHERI: Yes. Thanks, John.
VAUSE: Well, back to our Breaking News coverage of Donald Trump's impeachment after a short break. How Republicans are defending the President, and why his poll numbers just keep going up. Stay with us.
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VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. The fate of the U.S. President Donald J. Trump will now be decided by Republicans in the U.S. Senate. So far, no indication they will do anything other than tow the party line. And if the trial ever happens, it will blindly regarded as a sham. Regardless of what happens in the Senate, nothing can change the fact that President Trump has been impeached for abusing the power of his office and for obstructing Congress and the investigation of that abuse. Here's our history will remember this day, large bold headlines in the New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today. Yet, at a campaign rally stop in Michigan, Donald Trump made light of it all.
[01:29:36]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It doesn't really feel like we're being impeached, you know. The country is doing better than ever before. We did nothing wrong. We did nothing wrong.
And we have tremendous support in the Republican Party like we've never had before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The President did have a lot to say in Michigan including the mocking of the wife of a political icon in that state after she voted in favor of impeachment.
We've got details on that from CNN's Boris Sanchez.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: At over two hours, this is the longest speech of President Trump's presidency. Trump oftentimes rambling and scathing in his criticism of Democrats.
He started off his speech by saying that it does not feel like we're being impeached reveling in the adoration of his supporters. The President soon turning his focus to Democrats going after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. And in a crude way, also attacking Hillary and Bill Clinton.
But perhaps the most appalling comments made by President Trump tonight aimed at Congressman Debbie Dingell of Michigan over the death of her husband, former Congressman John Dingell, the longest serving member of Congress up until his death.
Listen to some of what President Trump said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They have this Dingell -- Dingell. You know Dingell from Michigan? You know Dingell? Do you ever hear her FROM Michigan? Debbie Dingell -- that is a real beauty.
So she calls me up, like eight months ago, her husband was there a long time. But I did not give them the B treatment. I did not give them the C or the D -- I could have. Nobody would have, you know.
I gave the A-plus treatment. Take down the flags. Why are you taking them down for ex-Congressman Dingell? Oh ok. Do this, do that, do that -- rotunda everything. I gave them everything.
That is ok I don't want anything -- I don't need anything for anything.
She calls me up. It's the nicest thing that has ever happened. Thank you so much. John would be so thrilled. He is looking down he would be so -- thank you so much sir.
I said that is ok do not worry about it. Maybe he is looking up I don't know.
Whatever. Maybe. Maybe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: The President taking Congresswoman Dingell's vote on impeachment and impeachment as a whole very personally. The President saying that Democrats should apologize for what they are doing to his family.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Larry Sabato is the director for the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. He joins us now from Charlottesville in Virginia.
So Larry -- what a day, huh? An historic day. The vote, it went along party lines. But what seemed notable was just how Republican after Republican repeated the White House talking points in a full- throated defense of the President.
Here's a sample.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. BARRY LOUDERMILK (R), GEORGIA: When Jesus was falsely accused of treason Pontius Pilate gave Jesus the opportunity to face his accusers. During that sham trial, Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus than the Democrats have afforded this president and this process.
REP. MIKE KELLY (R), PENNSYLVANIA: On December 7th, 1941 -- a horrific act happened in the United States. And it is one that President Roosevelt said, this is a date that will live in infamy.
Today December 18th, 2019 is another date that will live in infamy.
REP. DREW FERGUSON (R), GEORGIA: In 2016, I along with 63 million American voters representing 304 electoral college votes went to the polls and we raised our collective, political middle finger to D.C. and voted for Donald Trump.
How dare you -- the liberal elites, the condescending bureaucrats and every other kind of swamp critter in this god-forsaken place tell the American public who the President should be.
REP. RUSS FULCHER (R), IDAHO: In a day heavy in verbal debate. I choose to use my time to enumerate in detail every high crime and misdemeanor committed by the President of the United States. I will do so now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: It is funny because he did not say anything. My question is this. if the theory is that Republicans really don't like Donald Trump, and they are just using him to get their legislative agenda through. And behind closed doors they all whisper about how terribly he is, this was their moment to get rid of him. This was the moment to get rid of him and replace him with Mike Pence who is a real conservative, a real Republican.
But this is now Donald Trump's party. They are full on board with the Trump train -- trumping support of Republicans, if there is a Republican left. They are all trumping.
LARRY SABATO, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Yes, that is absolutely true. Remember, even if they had decided to vote -- some of them had voted for one of the two or both of the articles of impeachment, it would just go to the Senate.
And they know better than anybody the chances are zero that you are going to get 20 Republican senators to oust Donald Trump which is the minimum needed to be able to get 67 votes.
So they simply adapted to reality. They fear a single negative tweet from Donald Trump about them could end their political careers.
[01:34:57]
SABATO: So yes. Yes they are all in. No question about it. No dissent, a completely positive. They pushed the bible out front and Pontius Pilate and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the middle finger.
I just don't know how many other things they could've used to defend him. But it did not change anybody's mind. But that wasn't their point.
VAUSE: You know, one other thing which they could've used to try and defend the President was maybe addressing the facts.
Maybe actually going into some of the substance because no one actually did.
SABATO: Well, the facts don't help Trump and they know that. You know, if you've got the facts on your side you argue the facts. If you do not have the facts on your side, you bloviate and talk about process.
And generally speaking that is what they did with a few exceptions.
VAUSE: Senator Lindsey Graham, he was asked about the Presidents frame of mind as that gets underway. Here he is.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: I talked to him today. I said how are you doing. Well I am being impeached. Other than that, I'm doing ok.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: According to White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway, the President has been paying some attention, just a little bit, to what is happening in the House, but really he is very, very busy. Here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you give us a sense of how President Trump sees this day. Does he see impeachment as a stain on his legacy?
KELLYANNE CONWAY, WHITE HOUSE SENIOR COUNSELOR: No he does not. He sees it as a stain on the legacy of people who have been so focused and hellbent on removing him from office, on not getting the story, or getting you a job in your district but getting the President.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: You see (INAUDIBLE), has to stay on their legacy not the President. But it just seems hard to believe that, you know, any president could not see impeachment as a stain on their time in office.
SABATO: Of course, it is a stain on his time. And it will last forever. 250 years from now if the United States survives some other president may be impeached or they may be discussing the possibility and Donald Trump will be mentioned in the same breath as Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson. And those aren't exactly the best presidents to cite as you look at the long history of the American presidency.
Of course, it matters. It is a big black mark. This is a stain on his presidency. And even if he is reelected, he will always be referred to as the impeached 45th president. VAUSE: On the other hand though, we have this, you know, latest
polling out from CNN which shows job approval, Donald Trump is up; support for the impeachment is down. This is a trend which is reflected in a CNN poll of polls.
Is it too early to say it's been a good outcome in a way for Donald Trump at least in the short term?
SABATO: Way, way too early. And that overall, that's not true. I have looked at all the polling. Essentially the country is split just like they have been about Donald Trump from the beginning.
And I don't think it is going to change very many votes at all in November because most people won't remember it by then. So many other things will supersede this controversy.
So no, this is the kind of thing that reinforces partisanship. It does not change partisan from one category to another.
VAUSE: We still (ph) get back to the question of, you know, for the Democrats. Pelosi wanted to avoid this moment, you know, almost as much as, you know, she was clinging to life itself. Ultimately she had to because the facts just were staring on her face or punching her over the face and had to move forward.
This is the exact position that she did not want to be in, right?
SABATO: Yes, that is absolutely true. And she resisted as long as she could until the facts enabled her to make a case for Trump's impeachment. And nobody has a better sense of the political ties than Nancy Pelosi does.
She knows very well that even though the Senate will take this up in January. By the end of February, people will hardly remember what has happened. They will have some general idea but they will be focused on the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary or Super Tuesday and all the rest of it.
VAUSE: Just one other question -- Larry. I just want -- if one of the problems here for this impeachment is that essentially, it is like getting Capone for not paying taxes.
You know, when you consider everything that Donald Trump has done over the last three years -- the kids in cages, the misogyny, you know, the racism, you know, the Russia investigation, the obstruction of justice. This just seems like small beer, the Ukraine protocol.
SABATO: Well, don't forget, the great Chicago monster Al Capone was never brought to justice for all the murders that he had ordered or committed. He was brought to justice on tax evasion. Sometimes it happens that way.
VAUSE: Ok. Good point to end on. Thanks -- Larry. Good to see you.
SABATO: Thank you -- John.
VAUSE: And we'll take a break.
You're watching CNN. Back in a moment.
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VAUSE: A warrant has been issued for the arrest of the former president of Bolivia, Evo Morales. Prosecutors accuse him of terrorism and sedition. He says it's unjust and illegal.
Prosecutors alleged Morales encouraged deadly clashes before and after he left office; 35 people died in those clashes. Morales resigned last month after waves of protest and under pressure from the Bolivian police and the military.
He is now in Argentina where he was granted political asylum. He moved there just last week.
There are those who fall from grace and then there is Aung San Suu Kyi -- Myanmar's civilian leader. The Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, now international pariah, received a hero's welcome when she returned home after defending her military on charges of genocide carried out against the Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State.
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AUNG SAN SUU KYI, MYANMAR CIVILIAN LEADER (through translator): The challenge we faced at the court actually emerged due not only to the crisis that happened in recent years, but also missed opportunities to handle fairly and constructively social issues, politics, and the economy in Rakhine state over many decades.
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VAUSE: The Peace Prize winner was once continued considered a champion of human rights. A woman giving power to the powerless, she spent 15 years under house arrest. But her position on the military crackdown on the Rohingya has brought international condemnation and caused that Nobel Peace Prize to be revoked.
Still, she's pretty popular at home.
British Queen Elizabeth will formally open parliament in the coming hours and announce the Prime Minister's legislative agenda, that's after last week's U.K. election.
But forget the pomp, Thursday's ceremony will be a lot more low key than the October (ph) speech shortly before the election was called.
Instead today's focus will be squarely on Boris Johnson's plans to get Brexit done quickly. Mr. Johnson will also cement his commitment to spend more on Britain's much loved but struggling National Health Service.
Also, a steady rise (ph) of Vladimir Putin's annual year-end news conference -- this one just goes on for hours. It is awesome.
Once a year the Russian president presides over a marathon question and answer event with the international media. Mr. Putin is expected to be asked about his relationship yet again with President Donald Trump, Russia's slowing economy and Russian policy, Syria and Ukraine. You won't want to miss it. It's a real doozy.
Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I am John Vause.
"WORLD SPORT" is next.
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