MSNBC’s Jolly: Today’s Republican Party Is ‘Spineless Politicians Rotten to the Core’

On Monday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Deadline,” network contributor and former Republican Rep. David Jolly discussed reports that Republican lawmakers are considering arguing that while President Donald Trump did commit a quid pro quo in his interactions with Ukraine, it does not rise to an impeachable offense.

Jolly said, “These are the moments where my anger is somewhat palpable because you’ve just got to be honest, these are, in today’s Republican party, spineless politicians, rotten to the core without virtue, without any level of human integrity, devoid of self-respect, self-reflection, without courage, and without the moral compass to recognize their own malevolence. And one day, maybe, they will have the recognition of how they failed the country and themselves in this moment, but that would be giving them credit that somewhere down deep they have the goodness to recognize how to reconcile their own failings with what is right and just in American politics—and frankly, what is right and wrong in the eyes of adults and children alike.”

He added, “And there’s no other example, and why no argument will ever work for Republicans, and I agree they inevitably will make the case this is not impeachable. The problem is it requires every single Republican to align with Donald Trump and say that only Donald Trump speaks the truth. That Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, a man of honor and Purple Heart recipient, does not speak the truth. Ambassador McKinley, somebody who’s referred to as the dean of the foreign service core, does not speak the truth. Ambassador Yovanovitch, somebody who dedicated her life to promoting freedom and U.S. ideals on the world stage, does not speak the truth. Only Donald Trump does. And there is no greater example of selling your soul to a charlatan than what Republicans are doing right now in the House and the Senate. And their legacies are on the line just as much as Donald Trump’s. We know the character of Donald Trump. We know the failings of Donald Trump. Watching play out in this impeachment proceeding is the failings of a Republican party and every single member that goes along with this.”

Host Nicolle Wallace said, “Amen.”

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