MSNBC Host Says History Is Going to Treat GOP Senators 'Very Badly' Ahead of Trump's Senate Trial

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough said history is going to treat Republican senators "very badly" before President Donald Trump's impeachment trial for their association with Senator Lindsey Graham.

The Washington Post's David Ignatius analyzed the different approaches that older and younger Republicans may take during the impeachment trial. "Trump's insurgency in the Republican party is burning the house down, dependent on the fear of Republicans who didn't defend their party, didn't defend its values, essentially have fled," he told Scarborough. "Someone who's retiring from the Senate who's think about his legacy-her legacy is in a different place. The fear factor doesn't work in the same way."

Ignatius also said that he believes Senators will think more about their legacies as the trial begins. "It just entered a new phase: we're not talking about it anymore; it's happening," he said. "I think people do see themselves, in the Senate especially, in the light of history, and that light just got real bright as of yesterday and will continue until the trial's over."

Scarborough expanded on Ignatius' thoughts on legacy, and said that senators Pat Roberts and Lamar Alexander, who have both said they will not seek reelection in 2020, will probably not want to be associated with Graham, if he will not provide a fair impeachment trial.

"These two gentleman and other members of the Senate are not going to want to be associated for the rest of their lives and in history with Lindsey Graham, a guy who's so desperate to avoid a primary challenge that he's completely changed his viewpoints," Scarborough said. "And, we all know why he's done it, and we all know why Lindsey's saying he doesn't want a fair trial. He's not going to provide a fair trial. Why Mitch McConnell is saying he doesn't want a fair trial."

In December, Graham told CNN he was "not trying to be a fair juror" in the impeachment trial. Last week, the senator told Fox News that he hoped Republicans would join him in voting to acquit the president.

"This trial will end in a matter of days, not weeks, and [Trump] will be acquitted," Graham said. "I hope every Republican votes to acquit, and I think some Democrats will too."

The MSNBC host also said that retiring senators, and some exceptions like Utah Senator Mitt Romney, have the "luxury" of voting for transparency.

"History is going to treat these politicians very badly, and if you're retiring, you have the luxury-or if you're Mitt Romney, you have the luxury of saying 'Hey, I'm gonna do what's right and the American people want to hear all the evidence. They want to know what really went down and what John Bolton called this drug deal. So, I'm gonna vote for transparency,'" Scarborough said.

MSNBC did not immediately respond to request for comment.