FEW DAYS AGO TOOK THE OATH TO
SERVE IMPARTIAL JUSTICE OVER
TRUMP’S SECOND IMPEACHMENT
TRIAL.
SENATOR PADILLA, THANKS FOR
COMING BACK TO "THE SUNDAY
SHOW."
>> GOOD MORNING, JONATHAN.
GOOD TO BE BACK WITH YOU.
>> LET ME HAVE YOUR REACTION TO
THE REPORTING THAT’S COMING OUT
OF "THE NEW YORK TIMES" THAT
BASICALLY THE PRESIDENT DOESN’T
HAVE A DEFENSE TEAM RIGHT NOW.
CAN THIS IMPEACHMENT TRIAL IN
THE SENATE GO ON IF THE
PRESIDENT DOESN’T HAVE ANYONE TO
DEFEND HIM?
>> WELL, IT CAN GO ON, AND IT
MUST GO ON.
AND I THINK IT’S PRETTY TELLING
IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.
FIRST OF ALL, IF YOU HAVE SEEN
HOW DONALD TRUMP HAS CONDUCTED
HIMSELF FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS,
THIS PROBABLY DOESN’T COME AS
MUCH OF A SHOCK.
SECOND, LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN
THE FLURRY OF LAWSUITS THAT HE
AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY FILED
ON ALL THE CHANGES TO ELECTIONS
IN THE LEAD-UP TO THE LAST
NOVEMBER AS STATES WERE WORKING
HARD TO ENSURE PEOPLE COULD
PROTECT THEIR HEALTH AND SAFETY
DURING THE PANDEMIC AND STILL
EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE.
CASE AFTER CASE UNSUCCESSFUL,
BUT HE WAS LOSING COUNSEL IN THE
PROCESS THEN.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I’M NOT
SHOCKED THAT NEARLY ON THE EVE
OF THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL HE’S
ONCE AGAIN LOSING
REPRESENTATION, AND THAT’S
PRETTY TELLING WHEN ATTORNEYS
WHO HAVE TAKEN THEIR OWN OATH
AND ARE ADMITTED TO THE BAR
DON’T WANT TO RISK THAT FOR
GOING DOWN THE ROAD ON
LITIGATION THAT’S BASELESS.
>> SHOULD THE PRESIDENT DEFEND
HIMSELF IN THIS IMPEACHMENT
TRIAL?
COME TO THE SENATE AND TESTIFY
ON HIS OWN BEHALF?
THAT’S ANOTHER THING THAT’S IN
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" STORY THAT
HE IS CONSIDERING SAVING MONEY
BY REPRESENTING HIMSELF.
>> I THINK THAT’S CERTAINLY AN
OPTION FOR HIM, ALTHOUGH HE
WOULD BE WELL SERVED TO PREPARE
FOR CROSS-EXAMINATION.
TO BE THE CROSS-EXAMINER IN THAT
REGARD, BUT I AM SIMPLY A JUROR.
LET’S ALSO BE FRANK.
THE CASE BEFORE US COULDN’T BE
ANY CLEARER.
THIS, UNLIKE ALMOST ANY OTHER
CASE I CAN THINK OF, LEAVES VERY
LITTLE ROOM FOR DOUBT.
THE INCIDENTS, THE INSURRECTION,
THE REBELLION PLAYED OUT IN
REALTIME ON NATIONAL TELEVISION
FOR MILLIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY
AND AROUND THE WORLD TO WITNESS.
SO WE’RE GOING TO GO THROUGH
THIS PROCESS, BUT I KNOW HOW I
INTEND TO VOTE AT THE END OF IT.
>> LET’S TURN TO COVID RELIEF.
THERE’S REPORTING THAT TEN OF
YOUR REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES IN
THE SENATE HAVE COME UP WITH
THEIR OWN COVID RELIEF PACKAGE.
THEY’VE REQUESTED A MEETING WITH
PRESIDENT BIDEN TO TALK ABOUT
IT.
ONE, DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS
PROPOSAL FROM THESE TEN
REPUBLICAN SENATORS?
HAVE YOU SEEN IT?
DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S IN IT?
>> I LEARNED ABOUT IT AS I’VE
SEEN IT IN NEWS REPORTS OF IT,
INCLUDING THE LETTER AND SOME OF
THE COUNTERPROPOSALS.
MY RESPONSE TO THAT AS WELL,
NUMBER ONE, FINALLY.
THE DISCUSSION AND THE NEED FOR
URGENT COVID RELIEF IS NOTHING
NEW.
SO WHY NOW?
THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE,
SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE DAYS,
WEEKS, EVEN MONTHS AGO.
SECOND, WE WELCOME REPUBLICANS
COMING ALONG, BUT THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE NEED HELP NOW.
AND THEY’LL HAVE AN OPTION TO
EITHER JOIN WITH DEMOCRATS TO
PROVIDE URGENT, IMMEDIATE RELIEF
TO WORKING FAMILIES, TO SMALL
BUSINESSES, TO STATE AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS, SOONER RATHER THAN
LATER.
IT’S UP TO THEM IF THEY WANT TO
JOIN US OR NOT.
I’M NOT INTERESTED IN DELAY
TACTICS.
WE’VE SEEN THIS TIME AND AGAIN
OVER THE YEARS.
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
WE WANT TO WORK WITH YOU.