Trump loves playing 'victim' for his base: 'If he was convicted that would energize them'

The outcome of the second Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump will determine his political future, but Democrats and Republicans alike have no idea how that will play out.

Neither side expects 17 GOP senators or more to convict the former president, so the outcome isn't really in doubt, but no one can predict how the trial will affect Trump and his base, reported Politico.

"He does a pretty good job of being a victim," said one GOP senator. "If he were to be convicted, there would be an uproar among his supporters, and it would probably energize them."

Trump's allies are worried that public discussion of the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection will damage the former president, and his standing within the Republican Party hinges on how effectively Democrats lay out evidence that he incited the violent mob.

"It's going to be aired as publicly as it can be, and it's based upon recent events," said Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN). "So I think how he comes out of it, how he rebuilds, I'm not sure where that goes. That's going to be up to him."