On the recordFebruary 12, 2020
I thank the Senator from South Dakota. At the conclusion of President Trump's impeachment trial, I heard some of my Republican colleagues, most of whom I consider my friends, say that the President would be chastened by impeachment. Some of you told me you knew what he did was wrong. A number of Republicans told me they admit that he lies a lot. They would acknowledge extorting an ally for help in the 2020 Presidential campaign wasn't bad enough to rise to the level of warranting removal from office--even though Richard Nixon never did that; even though, just on the face of it, thinking of soliciting a bribe from a foreign country to help you in your reelection as President of the United States is worse than untoward. But you told me--many of you on the Republican side--that holding the trial was enough to check his bad behavior. You said things like this-- and these are quotes, but I will not mention who they were because they were private conversations. You said: ``I think he has learned he has to be maybe a little more judicious and careful.'' Some of you said these publicly too. A reporter asked another of you whether Trump might see acquittal as a license to do it again, and you responded: I don't think so. One of my colleagues said: ``I think he knows now that, if he is trying to do certain things . . . he needs to go through the proper channels.'' Another colleague said: ``The President has been impeached. That's a pretty big lesson. . . .…





