The Point: 1 in 3 GOPers think Trump did something illegal. But ...

View this email in your browser   January 23, 2020  | by Chris Cillizza and Lauren Dezenski 1 in 3 GOPers think Trump did something illegal. But... One in three Republican voters (32%) in a new Pew national poll say that Donald Trump "probably" or "definitely" did something illegal either while running for president or during his first three years in office.   Which, well, wow. Right? That's a big number -- especially when you consider how Republicans have, almost unanimously, fallen into line behind Trump, no matter what he says or does in office.   Except ...   That same Pew poll shows that just one in 10 (12%) of those same Republicans thought that Trump should be removed from office by the Senate impeachment trial. By contrast, 86% of Republicans believed Trump should not be removed.   But wait -- there's more. Among those Republicans who said Trump has "probably" or "definitely" done something illegal in either the 2016 campaign or the White House, 59% believe he should not be removed from office.   So.    The least damning way to interpret that data is to conclude that these Republicans who believe that Trump did something illegal don't think that illegality has anything to do with his actions in regard to Ukraine -- which is the subject of the Senate impeachment trial.   The other interpretation is this: Yes, these Republicans think Trump has done something illegal during his political career or as president. But they simply don't believe that breaking the law should be punished with removal from office. Likely because Trump is on the same team as them.   The Point: If party tribalism trumps -- ahem -- a commitment to following the rules, well, we are in a very bad place.    -- Chris QUOTE OF THE DAY "He likes rockets. And -- he does good at rockets too, by the way." -- President Donald Trump on Elon Musk and his company SpaceX. IMPEACHMENT LATEST What's happening today? House impeachment managers lay out their abuse of power case in their second of three days allotted for their opening argument.   Democrats are working to convince four Republicans with their arguments over these allotted 24 hours. With those four additional votes, Democrats would have enough to issue subpoenas for documents and witnesses.   What's coming up? Another late night. Some senators are even using fidget spinners to keep themselves entertained.   Friday's session, which kicks off again at 1 p.m. Eastern, will center on the House's case that Trump obstructed Congress.   Follow CNN's live special coverage on CNN and CNN.com. HILLARY AND BERNIE'S LONG-STANDING RIFT Chris explains why the latest Democratic spat isn't that surprising based on the two former competitors' history.   We'd like it if you subscribe to The Point on YouTube! LAUREN'S GOOD READS Trump's new crop of big donors   Canada's latest political drama is over donuts   Finding Nazis hiding in plain sight    Tracking the Wuhan coronavirus in real time   Remembering the NFL's most average dynasty destroyer   The Grammys scandal, explained MUSICAL INTERLUDE The 1975's latest "Me and You Together Song" is endlessly sweet.      Today's episode: Trump's attempted international narrative shift. LAUREN'S CAMPAIGN TRAIL LATEST     Marianne Williamson: Isn't running for president anymore, but she is backing Andrew Yang through the Iowa caucuses.    Bernie Sanders: Leads the rest of the field in New Hampshire. according to a new poll. He's at 29%, followed by Pete Buttigieg at 17%, Joe Biden at 14% and Elizabeth Warren at 13%.   Joe Biden: Says he would not make a deal to testify in the impeachment trial in exchange for Republican witnesses.   Elizabeth Warren: Is still in Washington for the impeachment trial, but got some help door-knocking in Iowa from Season 12 "Bachelorette" contestant Derek Peth.   ONE BIG SKETCH The cameras haven't shown a lot of the Senate floor. But sketch artist Bill Hennessy has been in the room, drawing the scenes you can't see on TV.   You are receiving this message because you subscribed to CNN's The Point with Chris Cillizza newsletter. Unsubscribe from this list Check out other CNN Newsletters Share the Point Newsletter Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get The Point in your inbox. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris Cillizza and Lauren Dezenski. You can follow Chris and Lauren on Twitter and connect with The Point on: Our mailing address is: One CNN Center Atlanta, GA 30303 Copyright © 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., All rights reserved.