'Thank you!': Progressive CNN analyst awed by Jeff Flake's moves to spurn Trump and McConnell on Senate floor

CNN panelists reacted in real-time upon learning that outgoing Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) promised to block Donald Trump's judicial nominees until and unless the Senate advances a vote to protect special counsel Robert Mueller.

"That's not an idle threat," host Jake Tapper said, noting that "if he votes against any of the 32 judges that come before the Senate floor, that makes it 50-50 and [Vice President] Mike Pence gets to be a tiebreaker.

"More importantly," the host added, "the 21 judicial nominees who haven't been reported out of committee — Republicans only have a one-vote advantage in that committee. If Jeff flake refuses to vote for any of them, that means they don't get reported out of committee."

Tapper jokingly asked progressive operative Symone Sanders if this is what she'd been "begging Jeff Flake to do," and Sanders agreed.

"Jeff Flake, thank you!" the former Bernie Sanders press secretary said. "Why did it take so long?"

Sanders later joked that she would "maybe" work on a potential Flake presidential campaign.

Watch below: