Susan Collins says Trump 'has learned' from impeachment case

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) won't vote to convict President Trump on either article of impeachment, but she still thinks he's learned his lesson.

In an interview with CBS' Norah O'Donnell on Tuesday — the same day she announced she'll vote to acquit Trump — Collins said she believes "the president has learned his lesson" and will be "much more cautious" in his dealings with foreign powers going forward.

Collins' comments echoed those of some of her Republican colleagues who also expressed displeasure with Trump's Ukraine-related behavior, but ultimately decided his actions did not meet the bar for removal. Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), for example, both said they believe Trump will think twice about making a similar judgment in the future.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Trump's stauncher allies, on the other hand, don't think he should stop doing things his own way. Collins told O'Donnell the president shouldn't have brought former Vice President Joe Biden in his infamous July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani said he hopes the president keeps pursuing his political rival, NPR reports.