Republican 'defenses' of Trump are so unflattering they may drive voters to throw him out: MSNBC anchor

On Thursday's edition of MSNBC's "Meet The Press," anchor Chuck Todd noted a crucial potential pitfall for House Republicans as they try to defend President Donald Trump's behavior in the Ukraine scandal: Their excuse for him still paints an unflattering picture of his actions that could turn off voters in 2020, even if he survives impeachment.

"Logic aside, Republicans today are confronting a potentially bigger problem when it comes to defending the president from impeachment while also looking ahead to his re-election bid," said Todd. "Yesterday's hearing showed them the weight of the evidence they are dealing with, and while today Republicans might feel confident that they're mounting a credible defense to prevent Trump from being removed from office, it does seem far less certain that their defense will prevent him from being voted out of office. In part because the Republican Party's defense right now seems to concede he may have acted inappropriately. They argue it's not a high crime or misdemeanor. But it also doesn't sound like a ringing 2020 endorsement either."

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