Sen. Doug Jones Speaks from Senate Floor on Impeachment Vote; Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) Discusses Impeachment, Doug Jones' Vote to Impeach, Trump's SOTU.
BOLDUAN: This afternoon, after the months of investigation, weeks of hearings, days of debate, a divided Senate will bring to a close the impeachment trial of President Trump. The Senate is expected to acquit the president on both charges, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, the charges he faces. While the outcome seems all but certain there is still suspense left. How will some wavering Senators vote and why? Democratic Senator from red state Alabama, Doug Jones, as we just saw, he just announced he will, in his words, "reluctantly vote" to convict President Trump on those charges. Joining me now, another Democratic Senator, Chris Van Hollen, of Maryland. Senator, thank you for being here. You plan to vote to convict the president. What's your reaction to what you heard from Doug Jones?</s>SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD): I do plan to convict the president on both charges brought by the House of Representatives. I can tell you that Doug Jones is taking this process very seriously. I sit next to him on the floor of the United States Senate. He has been taking copious notes. He himself is a lawyer, a former prosecutor. He is doing his duty under the Constitution to look at the charges and render a judgment on what the remedy should be.</s>BOLDUAN: Do you have any idea how another one of your Democratic colleagues, Joe Manchin, is going to vote? We're told he's not going to --he hasn't said publicly until he will wait until he gets to the floor this afternoon.</s>VAN HOLLEN: I don't know, Kate. But I should say, regardless of the vote this afternoon, this process has been tainted and flawed ever since the United States Senate failed to do its job under the Constitution. That is to conduct a fair trial. And when, for the first time in our history, you don't call a single witness or get a single document, that's not a fair trial. I'm sure the president will claim that he has somehow been exonerated. I want to state very clearly, there's no exoneration and no vindication from a farce of a trial. I think many Americans will not accept the legitimacy of this outcome because of the tainted process.</s>BOLDUAN: Do you think it's a good idea -- I mean, Jerry -- it may not be over, if you will, in the broad sense, because Jerry Nadler told Manu Raju this morning he's likely to subpoena John Bolton. Do you like that idea at this point?</s>VAN HOLLEN: I think it's important for the country to get to the truth of what happened. We heard from Senator Lamar Alexander that he agreed the House proved its case on the article of abuse of power. But you still had many Republican Senators get up there and pretend that was not the case. I don't think the House is interested at all in opening round two of impeachment. That's not happening. But I do think the country deserves the truth. Republican Senators, when they voted to obstruct that process and become accomplices with the president in covering up the truth, has simply left open these questions that need to be answered.</s>BOLDUAN: Let me ask you about State of the Union. I noted, you had a pretty brutal assessment of the president's remarks. You said they were disgraceful, it was a mega rally, circus performance. Why did his address bother you so much?</s>VAN HOLLEN: Well, Kate, the whole purpose of the State of the Union address is to lay out the agenda for the country, to try to bring people together in a common purpose. What President Trump did last night disrespected the entire process. He did treat this like one of this is campaign rallies. He never misses an opportunity to further divide the country. And he also went out and made all these outrageous misrepresentations, some outright lies. For example, he said he was really working to protect people with pre- existing health conditions, when, at that very moment, his attorney general is seeking, in court, to dismantle the law that contains those protections. That was just one of many examples of a president who thinks he's the country --</s>VAN HOLLEN: -- when, in fact, this country is great because of its values and people.</s>BOLDUAN: It was very representative of the divided America and partisan politics we are living in at this moment. Senator, thank you for coming on. I appreciate it.</s>VAN HOLLEN: Thank you.</s>BOLDUAN: We will be right back, everybody.