jared: good evening, i'm judy woodruff. on "the newshour," the defenses turn. former president's tump's team defense. saying he is not at fault for the assault on the capitol. for the first time patty murray discusses hiding from the violent mob that was inches away when rioters charged the capital. >> i've had a hard time talking about this because i don't want those people to ever feel that they had instilled fear in me that kept me from doing what i needed to do.

judy: plus, the impact of trump administration cuts to a key anti-censorship agency raises concerns about u.s. support for activists abroad. and it's friday. david brooks and jonathan capart consider the second trump impeachment trial and the federal response to the pandemic. all that and more on tonight's "pbs newshour." ♪ >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by -- ♪

>> moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> consumer cellular. johnson & johnson. ♪ >> the john s. and james l. knight foundation fostering communities, more at kf.org. and with the ongoing support of these institutions. >> and friends of "the newshour." this program was made possible by the corporation for public

broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. judy: the defense has now rested. in the senate impeachment trial of former president trump. his lawyers took less than three hours arguing his cause on factual, first amendment and constitutional grounds. congressional correspondent lisa desjardins reports. >> the senate will convene as a court of impeachment -- >> with 16 hours on the clock with their turn to make their case lawyers for president do nalt trump needed his defense needed far less time. right away they rejected the charge that mr. trump caused the deadly siege on the capitol last month. >> no thinking person could seriously believe that the president's january 6th speech on the elipse was in any way an incitement to violence or

insurrection. the suggestion is patently absurd on its face. >> it was a sharp rebuttal to presentations from democratic impeachment managers over the last two days which featured harrowing images of the day and the words tha incited it. >> we're going to walk down to the capitol. >> take the capitol. >> the defense team's michael van der veen said it was disparaging and to is present him from running for office. >> to claim that he encouraged lawless or violent behavior is a press post prouse and monstrous lie. they sought to appeal to senators with legal efforts. they said his speech was freedom of speech. >> if you're not going to fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore.

this is ordinary political rhetoric that is virtually indistinguishable from the language that haseen used by people across the political spectrum for hundreds of years. you must reject this invitation to ignore the first amendment. it is anti-american. and would set dangerous precedent forever. >> the attorneys said none of mr. trump's words were intended to be a call to arms and that insurrectionists acted out of their own accord. >> the fact that the attacks were apparently premeditated as alleged by the house managers demonstrates the ludicrousness of the incitement allegation against the president. you can't incite what was already going to happen. >> we have come to demand that kong -- >> the lawyers accused democrats of cherry picking mr. trump's words and deliberately

overlooking a message to supporters to march to the capitol nonviolently. >> i know everyone here will march over to the capitol building to peacefully and patrioticly make your voices heard. >> they edited it down. >> with a video reel of their own, the defense argued that his words were no different than that of some democrats. >> please, get up in the face of some kong people. >> people will do what they do. >> i want to tell you gorsuch. i want to tell you cavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price! >> we are ready to fight -- >> another reel running nearly 10 minutes featured a montage of democrats including many of the senators watching using the word "fight" just as mr. trump did. >> this is the fight of our lives. >> but we are going to make sure

that this fight does not end tonight. >> every single one of you and every one of you -- that's ok. you didn't do anything wrong. it's a word people use. but please stop the hypocrisy. >> dave schoen spoke to democrats in the room including the senator from delaware. >> most of us who were quoted as having used the word we were talking about fighting for healthcare or fighting for cleaner air or fighting for better schools. not fighting to interrupt the certification of the presidential election. >> the defense team also returned to a familiar attack on the constitutionality of the trial itself arguing the senate holds no jurisdiction to try a foreman president. >> this would transform the solemn impeachment process into a mechanism for asserting congressional control over which private citizens are and are not allowed to run for president.

it is constitutional cancel culture. >> the senate sitting as the jury already dwelt that issue. a majority of senators agreed the trial should move forward. ult mayly rested the case in less time that prosecutors took. saying they had the vote to aqi from senator who is followed up from questions from both sides. >> senator warnock has a question -- >> a conviction would require support from at least 17 republicans and has been unlikely from the start. a final vote could come as early as tomorrow. judy: and lisa joins us from the capital along with our white house correspondent yamiche alcindor. you have been tracking the defense very closely. give us the core of the argument they made today and where they feel this -- this trial stands.

yamiche: former president trump's defense attorneys feel very confident he will be acquitted. one trump advisor said if they would have sd nothing in the senate chamber they still feel president trump would have been acquitted and they believe there are aren't 17 republican senators willing not to go against president trump but to go against their voters who many of them are trump supporters. the defense did put on a short presentation and they focused on saying that president trump was the real victim here. that he was the -- the -- the -- that he was -- he was being targeted politically because of his power saying that -- this was a witch hunt saying there was constitutional cancel culture happening here. echoing the president's own words. what they didn't do was try to litigate the 2020 election. just a few months ago an attorney for the president would not admit that he lost the election. so that tells you a little bit what's going on there. something thales the trump

lawyers did today, they put on this video, this very long extended video of democrats and of reporters media personalities, talking about fighting, talking about using the same words that now, of course, president trump is being criticized for using and in that chamber -- in the senate chamber there were two sides of retions. there was the laughter from democrats who didn't take it seriously, thought it was a falseer give len sit. -- equivalencey. just a few minutes ago stacey plas pointed out that the video featured a lot of black women of color. oting fannie lou hammer saying i'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. if president trump is acquitted, it still begs the question whether we in the country want

white supremacy and systemic racism to continue. judy: you were also telling us that there was a dispute that broke out between the defense team and the managers over security video that was shown this week. tell us about that. >> that's right. the trumptory e -- trump attorneys are making the case that new video -- security camera footage showing vice president pence running from the crowd being evacuated and a number of other lawmakers running for their lives that that was not video evidence that hay had gotten ahead of the trial. that was the first time they ever saw it. when a source told me a senior democratic aid saying that's not true that david was not telling the truth. in fact, they said that all of the evidence including the video was given to the trump defense attorneys as fehr trial rules. so that's a big, big argument going on there with democrats saying that president trump's lawyers are not telling the

truth. judy: and to you, lisa, we know that the trial is in the question phase where senators can pose questions to each side. tell us where that stands. what's coming out of this part of the trial? >> that's ongoing as we speak. some twoozens questions by the members of the senate taking turns. they're asking questions that i think many americans would have asked. some of them asking the president's defense team what was he doing? what did he know as he was tweeting out things about vic president pence? did he understand that he was being evacuated? and an important question from bill cassidy saying what we know about the president suggests that he did not care that vice president pence was in danger. interesting the defense team has taken the approach to answer all these questions to say we don't know what the psident was doing becae democrats have not investigated this case. and in that -- question from

senator cassidy, they even said that his premise was false. they have rejected the idea that president trump knew what was going on with vice president pence. democrats keep pounding away at that. saying it is up to you to tell us what the president was doing. you had the ability to have him speak in his own defense. if not, we have to assume that he was not, in fact, trying to protect the u.s. capitol. so some really interesting questions here. and particularly interested in senator cassidy. he is still open possibly to a conviction. but we'll have to see how that goes. judy: thank you both. we understand the questions are expected to wrap up tonight. tomorrow, they go to closing statements. and we may well get a vote on this impeachment trial. thank you, both. and meantime, as we have been reporting, the trial has revealed a number of new

chilling details about the january 6th attack on the capitol. and today, we have learned even more. for the first time, senator patty murray from washington state and the highest ranking female democrat in the senate is speaking publicly about the terror she experienced that day while hiding just inches from the violent mob who she says were looking to kill. >> she and i spoke this morning before the defense team presented their case. >> senator, i know this is very personal for you because you were close to where the rioters ended up being in the capitol. take us back to that day, and tell us what happened. >> well, i -- i came to the capitol that day as i do every day. it was fairly loud outside. i had heard the president speak. and i was very aware that this crowd was pretty, you know,

negative. and so i texted my family. i said i'm on my way. i'll let you know when i get safely to the capitol. and i did. i texted them. i said i'm in my office. i'm safe. that turned out to not be true. i was there because i was going to be one of the first speakers on one of the first challenges. and i was preparing myself in an office very close to the senate floor when all of a sudden i saw -- i could see out the window the people who were protesting were no longer protesting. they were breaking through. they were angry. they were yelling. they were loud. and i still felt, well, i'm in the capitol. i'm safe because that's what -- that's what we feel. and it wasn't long before i -- i heard explosions. i heard yelling. and all of a sudden, they were in the hallway outside my door.

i was inches away along with my husband who was with me at the time. and we were really frightened. we -- we -- we're hearing the announcements to stalocked down. we heard loud explosions. my husband yelled at me to get down. we were lying on the floor. and all of a sudden they were in the hall. they were yelling. they were yelling that they had breached the castle. they were yelling kill the infidels. and we heard somebody saying we saw them. they're in one of these rooms. and they were pounding on our door and trying to open it. and my husband satith his foot against the door praying that they would not break in. i was not safe. it was a horrific feeling.

and it lasted for a long time. judy: it had to be incredibly frightening. senator, how close do you think they came to breaking down the door? >> well, what i remember most i have vividly is i couldn't remember if i locked it. and i was just -- and we had to be quiet. we didn't want them to know we were in there where we were. and i'm just looking at my husband and we were just eye contact -- we could see each other's eyes, please let this door be locked. and my vision of my husband putting his door against the door like he might be able to hold down this incredibly loud, angry even giant lent mob outside my door was inbelief. and even the terror i saw in him

i had nonseen in years. >> do you remember what they were yelling? >> absolutely. they qur -- were yelling they breached the capitol. they were yelling, freedom, freedom, freedom. they were saying kill the infidels. it sounded like they were talking on walkie talkies to somebody else and getting directions. so they knew what they were looking for. and by the way, theyidn't know it was me, i don't think. it could have been any one. it could have been any member of kong. i don't think it matter whether we were republican, democrat, women or men. they were in there to kill the infidels as they were saying. and you know, that is just an overwhelming thought to me today now as i sit and listen in this

trial that what they were trying to do was to kill someone. not all of them for sure. but that was some of them, enough of them. they wanted to take over our country. take over all of us using brute force. judy: senator, why do you think they eventually left? who do you thank for the fact that they didn't break through? that they -- >> well, they wanted to -- judy: and they -- >> they wanted to. it was very intention of them. you could hear it in their commands and in their words. i was in there well over an hour. i was trying to text with my staff, what shall we do? my phone was running out of power because i had been trying to text my family. i wanted to know all of a sudden what was going on. i was trying to text my staff. i was tryinto get help. and i cralled over to where the phone was on my desk.

and the power had been cut. i mean, there were so many moments like that it's hard to even talk about. i remember one point, my staff i believed or i heard it on a monitor, it's hard to remember. they said put on your gas masks. we could hear something going throughout the capitol. i mean, where are the masks. i've been here forever. i haven't used mine or known where it was since 9/11. and i didn't remember where it was. i'm crawling across the floor trying to find a gas mask. that fear was horrible. i was in the capitol on 9/11. i was in an office looking out across the mall towards the pentagon. we had known that the new york towers had been hit. we were talking about it. and all of a sudden, the window i was looking at i could see the smoke rise from the pentagon. officers told us to get out of there as fast as we could.

and of course, later we learned that for some very brave people in a plane over pennsylvania, we would have been hit. that's the only other time in my whole time here i felt i was not safe in the capitol until january 6th. and what happened on 9/11 is the urgency, the compassion, the sense of responsibility that members across the aisle worked with to go after terrorism. is not here today. and to me that's really sad. and i feel less safe now because there not a bipartisan action on the part of congress to say this is wrong. i've had a hard time talking about this because i don't want those people to ever feel that they had instilled fear in me that kept me from doing what i

needed to do. and today when i see some members of kong wanting to dismiss this or wanting to say put it in the past, or you know, move on. they're being instilled by fear and that's what motivating them. we cannot allow that to be what runs our country. we have to be a country that runs by strength not by fear. and you know, i don't want to talk about this because i don't want to show my fear. but you show your fear. you show your fear is overcome by strength, by speaking out and speaking against what happened in the capitol. that's what i want for my country. that's what i want for my grandkids. i want a country that uses words and voices, that speaks out against this kind of brute force, that does not allow it to be what runs our democracy. >> and senator, wn you say your colleagues who vote not to

convict, who say they don't think the president should be held responsible by conviction, what are you saying about them? >> i would say directly to them, do not let fear be what makes us do the right thing in this country for the future of our country in a democracy. whether it's fear of that brute power or it's fear of a constituency that is loud. or the fear of a president who is loud. speak up for our democracy now, or you may lose it forever. judy: and senator, why are speaking about this today? >> because i realized as i listened today to the house managers and they talked about the senators being 58 steps away, that i was inches away. d i heard and saw what many of them didn't hear until the last few days. and i realized that it's

important for me to tell people what happened to me and so many others, and i know the staff that was there, the capitol police, so many people lived through what i did whose voices have not yet been heard. we need to speak up for them. judy: senator, soon after january the 6th, you by name singled out senator ted cruz, senator josh hawley for their role in this. how do you view their role? do you think they bare some -- bear some responsibility for what happened? and if you do, how do you view working with them? >> i view anyone who knew this crowd's moment and incited them and di not condemn them should be held accountable. and i felt that the actions of

ted cruz and josh hawley in paicular did that. i don't know. it's going to be real yes -- really hard. i work with republican colleagues i respect a lot. but i can't respect someone who tries to undermine our democracy by brute force. judy: and you believe they were part of inciting this insurrection? >> it was clear to me through the words they used, through the actions they used, through the incitement that they used that they knew that dwhash this crowd is capable of and they didn't do anything to stop them? judy: should the senate take action against them? the senate is doing an inquiry into that. and i will wait for that inquiry to occur and follow the advice of the senators who followed through on that. >> senator patty murray, i know everyone listening to you feels for what you went through, and we thank you so much for talking with us today and sharing your

story. >> thank you, judy. stephanie: we'll return to the full program after the latest headlines. the c.d.c. offered new guidance on reopening schools during the pandemic. it found strong evidence that in-person classes can safely redoom with protective measures. it said vaccinating teachers is not a prequick zit but they should you be given priority. the world health organization appealed for individual lens today as new covid infections dropped worldwide. they are down for the fourth week in a row. in geneva the agency's head said it is still vital to stay alert. >> complacency is as dangerous as the virusist.

now is not the time for any -- virus itself. now, is not the time for any individual to let down their guard. every life that's lost now is all the more tragic as vaccines are beginning to be rolled out. >> the u.s. death toll reached 480,000 today even as daily increases and infections and deaths have declined. the united states will begin letting some 25,000 legal asylum seekers enter the country from mexico while their cases proceed. the bind administration announced the change from president trump's policy today. it takes effect next friday involving three border crossings and a few hundred people today. in myanmar, the general leading the new junta urged the public to "join hands with the military to achieve democracy." instead thousands of protestors confronted police in pro democracy demonstrations. they were the largest since the

military coup nearly two weeks ago. the president of the tokyo olympic organizing committee has resigned. yoshiro mori "that women talk too much in meetings." mori refused to go but he gave way today under pressure from the public and from olympic sponsors. >> my inapproiate remarks caused turmoil. i'm sincerely for causing trouble for the committees an everyone involved in this. as has been reported i will resign today. i have no intention to demean women. >> the tokyo games are due to open in july amid public opposition and the ongoing pandemic. back in the country, a white house press aid was suspended for threatening a journalist. press secretary t.j. ducklo confronted a staff at politico in sexist profane terms. she had written about ducklo's

relationship with a reporter who covered the biden campaign and transition. the senate unanimously voted tonight to present capitol police officer eugene goodman for his valor on january 6th. the full senate stood to recognize him with a standing ovation. [applause] nation's across asian marked the lunar new year welcoming in the year of the ox with muted festivities due to covid-19. but china was criticized for showing dancers in black face wearing african style costumes in festivities broadcast around the world by state media. the program also included tributes to front line healthcare workers fighting the covid pandemic. still to come on "the newshour," cuts to a anti-censorship

organization raises concern about u.s. support for activists abroad. david brooks and jonathan cap ever hart analyze the impeachment trial. and we remember the many lives lost to covid-19. announcer: this is the pbs newshour from wetta studios in washington and from the west from the walter cronkite school of you journalism from arizona state university. judy: today, a small u.s. government funded organization, the open technology fund received money that was frozen last year. referred to as o.t.f., it advocates for internet freedom, the kind of freedom that was cut off last week by the myanmar military and restricted by governments including china, which banned the b.b.c. yesterday and iran.

nick schiff ren reports on how the battle of o.t.'s funding was part of the trump administratio% turmoil and how this the new war. >> protestors tried to avoid beatings, torture and even death. with the digital shields of dmitri vilalia. >> enable to empower these activists who were doing what i believe important work. >> his work protect bes rougians an help them defeat internet censorship. >> the powers that be who surveil and access to the internet wrote in their capacity -- we've been invested in giving them access to new methods with which they can secure themselves with which they can circumvent internet censorship.

>> his activism was born from his father's bravery. he left in 1989, the year that the berlin wall fell. encouraged for decades by the u.s. federal broadcaster voice of america. >> a courier, a ship without guns goes into battle armedith the greatest weapon of all, truth. >> v.o.a. promoted american ideals by projecting american news. >> citizens around the world are kill for their online speech >> today, it's the open technology fund that promotes american ideals by maintaining internet freedom. it's buveraget to $28 million. but o.t.f. funded the technology that became signals and now that powers skype and what's app. o.t.f. technology is on 2/3 of

the world's phones. o.t.s. also fund vitalia. >> very much in like with the american principles, pretty much speed. and it is in the interest i believe of the united states to continue to support this kind of efforts. >> but then arrived michael pack. >> i want to clear out the -- the problems in the agency both the mismanagement and the bias. >> last year, he became c.e.o. of global media which oversees global broadcastinger including v.o.a. and o.t.f. he targeted the very employees he led pushed by president trump. >> if you hared what's going on out of the voice of america, is disgusting. >> senator aids,at editors and entire boards of trustees. he kicked out journalist out of the country. and he with held o.t.s. congressionally mandated

subject. leaving them temporarily defense less. >> from one day to the next, they have to stop demanding. it's it's not clear to me what his motivations are or who these actions benefit other than authoritarian regime and internet freedom an freedom of expression e presentation around the world. >> laura continuingham is the c.e.o.o the fund. they tried to fire her and the entire board and tried to destroy her by barrowing it from federal funding. >> removing support for those stecknologies. we are putting people who have risked their lives at even greater risk of being attack and silenced by authority tarnle regimes. >> i have had to distance myself from my family quite a bit to increase their safety. >> fatami is an activist.

he considers his work such a threat. it's not safe for him to tell his family back in yroon what he does. he watched during the 2009 green revolution. and last year's protests is iran shut down the internet and persecuted protestors. in 12, he criticized the regime. he die in custody. >> i think say you're communication is -- is step zero of any change in the -- in any society. >> but he too was caught off when pack froze o.t.f.'s funding. >> america must reassert itself in the new global war of y. >> o.t.f. was mismanaged and revitalized an ultimate freedom internet organization. but then it might be this group.

the fallen gong opposing the chinese communist party. to circumvent, they create a great fire wall. it founded the technology called ultrasource. o.t.f.'s predecessor declined to provide funding. they refused to submit. but in november, he signed a contract with up to thrs 2 million. in the episode, we sit down with michael pax. he gave an on can ra interview to the fallen gong at the times. >> such a pleasure to have you on american thought leaders. >> but the g.m. is ending. whistleblowers accuse him of propaganda. they accused him of illegally funneling money. and then he resigned from the president of the biden team. but the wound will take time to heal. >> we are seeing that the

chinese government and the russian governments to monitor the co-op civil society. this is about removing critical tools. it's about strengthening the hands of our adversaries. >> nose adversaries trying to cancel and control. so activists an not authority yarns can hold the future in their hands. >> i'm nick schiff ren for the pbs newshour. judy: and at the end of another busy week in washington from the senate's second impeachment trial of donald trump, to the biden administration's covid response we turn now to the analysis of brooke and capehart.

are good to see both of you this friday as always. >>less eat talk about the thing that's consumed so much of our week. >> it looks like we heard from the defense and the house managers. the question is finish n. what do you make of it? >> well, last week, i was short of pooh poohing it. i said let's get this impeachment out of way to we can work on whatever need we need to work on. >> i was struck by how moved i was, how freshly angered. how much i learned. how much it really grabbed the nation's attention. if all the impeachment did was bring that patty murray investigation it would have been perfect. especially in that interview with the rat of today and with

the reality of what our country was facing was brought to life. and there's no occasion to lay out the threats to this scuntri is a good thing. so i was gripped. and think the country was gripped. judy: jonathan, what did you make of the last four days? >> i'm le david, i long said that this senate impeefment trial had to happen -- impeachment trial. it had to happen. it needed to happen. you cannot incite an insurrection of the u.s. capitol and not face any kind of consequences. >> the very first day when they were argumenting whether the trial itself was constitutional and the house impeachment plannings that that took us back to that day to january 6th. i remember watching it live on january 6th. and being aningly and being hurt and being sad about what was

happening to my country. watching it again, i started to cry. because david, i was taking back that same day. and to it it together. some of the video being foot am i've never seen before. really the one piece was seeing -- we don't -- we all see the video of the police officer screaming in agony as he was being crushed in the doorwayful were what made me cries was -- doorway. what made me cry is that. i think we need to see donald trump convicted by at bare minimum. from this day forward, donald trump's name could never be written about or said without anyone thinking about the horror that happened at the u.s. capitol on january 6th.

jared: do you think the house managers d -- judy, do you think that the house managers proved the case. that the mt. incited this riot? >> i think they aired in being prosecutorial and they did cherry pe. the republican defense was reasonably effective in show how they picked parts of the january 6th speech, but i think the thing they real y proved. first, they ripped us. but it wasn't about january 6th in my view, if it was only a speech, it would is not have been incitement. but as they said very compellingly and sper sway siv live, it was monthings. and so it was the months of the stop the steal campaign that riled up. that was clearly violent. and so i do think they compelling little made the cake.

>> will republicans vote their way? enough of them? probably not. i wows say this. there's a 10% chance that mitch mcconnell works to convict it. >> not completely shocking. some unexpected conviction votes. >> did you think the managers made their case and then let's talk about the defense? are they just essentially rejected the -- the entire case. >> yes, i think the house impeachment managers, they made their case. they used all of the time -- not all of the time, but six or four hours to methodically said, make the case, argue the case. intricately. videos, tweets. what have you. we all watched it. what i found disappointing is that donald trump's defense

didn't even bother to go, literally toe-to-toe with the house impeachment managers, to spend the time it would take to argue an effective case. i wouldn't agree with their case. but at least i would expect them to spend as much time as possible to argue the case. to reput the democrats and to do that in a serious way. >> you cannot do that in the two 1/2 hours that they used. to argue in defense of donald trump. that's how they used. they had 16 hours. and only used a fraction oil. i mean, i -- earlier when i was talking to alex our producer about. i said donald trump was not well served. you know with where i stand on what i think should happen to him but i don't think he was well served. >> he could have -- his team could have done a better job with the really flimsy defense

that they have. >> david, do you see the manage's case seriously. >> well, you can go to trial with the -- first, in they dense ference they think -- we should haven't be having this. you can only thrope out a -- throw it out. what's the point of arguing the rest of the case? but i don't think they have much. the video -- i thought they did. they were cherry picking, as i said. i don't think anymore could have been done. and so i have trouble blaming them. there's not a lot of evident on their side. judy: and jonathan -- i mean, because it did come across as they just dismissed it. and it was -- that it wasn't -- that was as if the defense didn't even want to acknowledge that the -- that the manager's case was a case.

>> well, and i hear you on that -- on that point. becae yeah, maybe that was it. they didn't take it seriously. but the one thing that i -- that did come through loud and clear to me and that is perhaps maybe they didn't take the case seriously because their client doesn't take the case seriously. some of the language that was used by the attorneys took me back to some presidential raties. we heard the phrase with which hunt within the third or five minutes. >> a lot of buzz yords and things that you could hear coming out of donald trump's mouth. >> around so i thart started pay attention to the -- to donald trump's lawyers and the way that i use today pay attention to his officials and other people who were close to him because drn whenhose officials were in the briefing room or at press conferences, they were never really talking to us, the

american people. they were never really talking about the journalists in the room. they were talking to then president of the united states who was watching television, watching them, critiquing them and who was prepared to rip into them, if they did not say words and phrases that he want . and that's what we saw today over two and a half hours at least in the defense team's trying to rebut the case of the house impeachment managers. >> the statement thing was happening during the q&a period as well. judically and david what's donald trump's hold on the party, his supporters coming out of this trial? do you think it changes as a result. >> in my view of the party going into this episode was 50/50.

as the weeks have gone by. in this whole episode especially after january 6th, people are deregistering from the party. the party of approval rating has developed 38%. and so it's clearly having an effect. and you saw nikki haley, came out today or a politico interview very strongly defending donald trump and saying he will not be part of the 2020 peck chure. he's the show dummy. she says that le not be the figure part of the party that's short trump. does it have eck power over everybody else. >> and that may remain the case. but it's a this rinking part of the party. and the party itself is sh ricking. >> too bad the extend that's

ing on, john -- how much does that help or did it help. who is trying to get the administration underway, trying to get his arms und in this vaccine distribution crisis and everything ee. >> i think unfortunate le, the nikki haley way of the republican party doesn't seem to be any where in any kind of numbers that would make it possible for those senators who are sitting at the jury to follow her lead. i think it's important to see what senator mitch mcconnell does. >> by do think wheng it comes to president de , what's been interesting this week is that seeing one -- one side of pennsylvania of the capitol in the senate, they're doing the trial, but over in the house. the committees. are doing the work. and they're marking up president

trump's covid reliefed by and getting it passage and to add over to the senate. that's why they were working on their reconciliation. and i think, you, no president boyden has been about work. he is doing the work. he's been very good about not coming anywhere close to commenting at all substantively. about what happened with the snoot impeachment trial. >> in the end, the american people want to know whoa what are you doing to make sure that the eviction moratorium doesn't expire and that unemployment insurance didn't expire. and if you were to be out there commending politically about what's happening in the senate impeachment trial and ignoring the serious crisis that is facing the american people, he would -- he would face hell from the voters and he would deserve

it. but that's not what's happening. judically and how do you think joe biden is doing so far with vaccines and everything else he's working on? >> he's doing well. the people i spoke to are a little more nervous these days about getting enough vaccines in the arms in time. the distribution problems are haunting. i think the supply is lower. they're worried about the iations, obviously. but the thing that has them most worried is the public's unwillingness to take the vaccine and some surveys 25% or 33% of americans say they will never take the vaccine. that obviously doesn't get us to herd immunity. so i think the administration is doing what it can. but there needs to be a much bigger public information campaign abo the safety of t vaccine. and especially to teachers. we can go back to schools tomorrow and be safe with the

right precautns, but teachers are understandably worried. and their unions and their leaders and frankly the administration is not informing them of what we know scientifically to be true. >> a lot of worry about that. you're right. the sax seen -- vaccine, we have it. but not enough of it and a lot of people not willing to take it. david brooks, jonathan, both of you stay safe. thank you very much. >> thanks, judy, you too. judy: and now, we take a moment to share the story of five extraordinary individual who is fallen victim of covid-19 in this country. ♪ >> brandone cray found a niche

in music. he played the guitar, violin and bass. but he was a gospel saxophonist. he recorded an album in the 1990's. he was a devoted christian, his brother said and played at many church events including funerals adding that the music had a way of encouraging families in their time of need. brandon was 52 years old. lorintha umptouch se went back to school in her 40's. she spent more than two decades as a tribal court judge on reservations in reservations in the west coast. she was the first woman from the yakama nation to serve, a city in washington state.

she was an active member of the bahai faith and was passionate about teaching it to children her daughter said. 78-year-old shabir hamdani loved to interact with people. and that's exactly what he did for 40 years as a cab driver. a native of india, he landed in the dallas area in the 1980's. he was adventurous, gregarious and outgoing his son said. for the last few years, shabir was volunteering at the information booth at the dallas airport where he enjoyed answering traveler's questions. able and ida busquet came from the philippines in the 1970's. they worked incredibly hard their son told us. able in financial services. and ida as an ob/gyn nurse.

able was stricter. ida was soft and giving. both 73 years old, the busquets died about a week apart just months before their 50th wedding anniversary. it was a kind of beautiful poetry their son told us like they couldn't bare to be apart from each other. and we thank all the family member who is share these stories with us. our hearts go out to you as they do to everyone who has lost a loved one in this pandemic. watch our gavel-to-gavel coverage of the second impeachment trial of president donald trump starting tomorrow morningt 10:00 eastern. you can check your local pbs station and you can find it online, on our website and on social channels. tune in tonight to "washington

week". jonathan carl is guest hosting this evening. i'm judy woodruff, for all of us here, have a good, se weekend. thank you. and good night. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by -- >> consumer cellular. johnson & johnson. bnsf railway. the william and flora hewlett foundation for more than 50 years supporting institutions to support a better world at hewlett.org. supporting social entrepreneurs and their solutions to the world's most pressing problems. skullfoundation.org. >> and with the downgoing

support of these institutions. and friends of the newshour. this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs news station from viewers like you. thank you. >> this is pbs newshour west from weta studios in washington and from our bureau at the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university.

coronavirus cases are dropping. new vaccination centers are opening. does this say good news for governor gavin newsom's approval recommends? covid-19 has ripped through the prison system in one of the states worst outbreaks. we take you to the tiny town of tiburon to meet a horse from this week's edition of something beautiful. welcome, i am prevent david clements. governor newsom heralded the