BALDWIN: Breaking news. Senator Al Franken has just announced that he will officially resign the U.S. Senate on January 2nd after several women came forward and accused him of sexual misconduct. The Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith will then join the senate the following day. Chris Cillizza, good enough to hang with me over a commercial break here. You know, listen, there were thoughts in recent days he hadn't given a date of resignation, maybe, maybe he wouldn't actually go. What's your reaction to this?</s>CILLIZZA: We should -- look, we should not be surprised that he's resigning, Brooke. Candidly, the horse was out of the barn here. You had more than half of his colleagues calling on him to resign. I would note that was led by a group, a coordinated effort by a group of female Democratic senators who did so in very sort of close order. None of those women said in retrospect they thought Franken should stay. Joe Manchin, a senator from West Virginia, probably the most conservative Democrat, who never called on Franken to resign was the one leading the charge for him to un-resign. You know, Mark Dayton, the governor, had already named a replacement. Tina Smith, when this happened, the lieutenant governor who will be the senator there, was in Washington talking to the leadership, looking for housing. I mean, this was already too far down the road. And candidly, I'm not sure what would lead you to say he should resign and then go back on that because nothing has changed. None of the women --</s>BALDWIN: Maybe it was wishful thinking from some people in Washington. That's it.</s>CILLIZZA: None of the women changed their accusations. This was what was going to happen no matter what Joe Manchin said. Chris Cillizza, you're the best. Thank you so much.</s>CILLIZZA: Thank you.</s>BALDWIN: Thank you. Coming up next here, ambassador Nikki Haley warning her colleagues at the U.N. that she is, quote, taking names when it comes to their stance on Israel. Hear what president Trump had to say about her tough talk.
Franken To Resign on January 2.