'He's going crazy -- he's firing American heroes': MSNBC's Morning Joe warns GOP senators have written Trump a 'blank check'

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough pounded Republican senators for ignoring his warnings about President Donald Trump, and giving him a "blank check" to engage in whatever abuses he likes.

The president and Attorney General William Barr are meddling in the prosecutions of Roger Stone and others caught up in special counsel Robert Mueller's probe, Trump is punishing witnesses in his impeachment trial, and the "Morning Joe" host reminded GOP senators that he'd warned them about Trump in 2016.

"He's going crazy, he's firing American heroes, kicking them out of his White House, he's asking for [Lt. COl. Alexander] Vindman, a guy who is an American hero, literally an American hero, war hero, to be prosecuted for telling the truth about what Donald Trump did," Scarborough said.

Scarborough then called out GOP senators who expressed concern about Trump's actions toward Ukraine but voted to acquit him anyway.

"What are you thinking right now, Susan Collins and Lamar Alexander?" he said. "I'm curious if you really still think that Donald Trump learned his lesson, or if the lesson that Donald Trump learned was with senators like you giving him a blank check, he can do whatever the hell he wants. Vindman -- that's on you. [EU ambassador Gordon] Sondland -- that's on you. Roger Stone -- Susan Collins, that's you on, and Lamar Alexander, it's on you, and it's on every Republican that taught Donald Trump once again there are no consequences to his actions. So this is your fault, this is your country."

Scarborough reminded Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and others that he'd warned them Trump would act like a "would-be dictator," and he said that's exactly what they got.

"Would Donald Trump not do whatever he could do if he could get away with it?" Scarborough said. "Seriously, if he could arrest every journalist he didn't like, if he could arrest us tomorrow -- let me ask you a question, do you think he would arrest us tomorrow? Do you think he would arrest the editor of the New York Times, the editor of the Washington Post, Jeff Bezos -- do you think he would arrest them tomorrow and throw them in jail to silence them?"

"If you say he wouldn't you're just lying to yourself," he added. "He will get away with whatever he can get away with, and he did this yesterday, something extraordinary that hasn't been done in our lifetime, he did it because you Republican senators gave him a blank check. Congratulations, Susan Collins. Congratulations, Cory Gardner. Congratulations Lindsey [Graham]. Congratulations, Martha McSally. Congratulations -- who is the guy in North Carolina with a 31 percent approval rating. Congratulations, [Thom Tillis]. Good job, Tommy boy -- this is on your shoulders."