Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said on CNN Friday that “spineless Republicans” in the Senate knew “in their hearts” that President Donald Trump broke the law.

Brown said, “Donald Trump doesn’t want witnesses, new information, and documentation. Therefore, Mitch McConnell, who is Donald Trump’s lapdog, doesn’t want information and witnesses. Therefore fifty-two other relatively spineless Republicans don’t want witnesses, don’t want information. They’re scared. They’re scared. I talk to Republicans all the time, quietly, individually. Many of them tell me that Trump’s a liar, a few of them said Trump’s a racist, but they’re all afraid of him. They’re afraid he’ll campaign against them in their state. They’re afraid he’ll attach a nasty nickname to them … It’s a little like the Iraq War when I was in the House fifteen years ago. Fear does the business, and Republicans are afraid of what Donald Trump will do.”

Anchor Erin Burnett said, “So, you’re saying Republicans you know, that believe, that have told you directly that the President of the United States is a liar and racist are going to vote for his acquittal and not for witnesses?”

Brown said, “Well, I don’t know. I hope not. I hear them say things like that. But the fundamental question really, ultimately, Erin, is that if we vote not guilty if the Senate doesn’t convict and remove from office, what are Republicans going to do? Those that voted for acquittal. What are they going to do to stop the president from doing even more of this lawlessness? I mean, they all know in their hearts that he broke the law. He will then be unleashed. He’ll be vengeful. He will have gotten away with it. What are they going to do? What are we all going to do? I know what the media will do. You’ll continue to try to expose wrongdoing. But what are they going to do to reign in this president the next eight months, win or lose the November election? What are they going to do to reign in this kind of lawlessness that clearly will have been rewarded because he got away with it?”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN