'A critical mass of the Republican Party has been radicalized' against democracy: CNN's John Harwood

CNN's John Harwood on Thursday gave a stark analysis about why so many Republican senators will not convict former President Donald Trump no matter the evidence they're shown.

While talking with host John Berman, Harwood said that the outcome of Trump's Senate trial is preordained, as there will simply be no way to get 17 GOP senators to convict him.

"The reality is, the outcome of this trial does not depend on the quality of the prosecution by the House managers or the quality of defense by the Trump team," he said. "And the reason for that is that a critical mass of the Republican Party has been radicalized."

Harwood then elaborated on the chief fears driving GOP voters and lawmakers to protect Trump from facing consequences for his actions at all costs.

"They've been radicalized by the existential dread that a different set of people, a different set of economic circumstances or changing the country culturally, economically, to the detriment of people who have been in charge in the past," he said. "They're willing to defend their place through the Republican Party by anti-democratic means. That's why you had a Republican president inspiring this insurrection. That's why the Republican Party seeks to limit the right to vote."

Watch the video below.