CNN contributor Paul Begala said Monday on “The Lead” that if former President Donald Trump won the presidential primary, it would be a “catastrophe for the Republican Party.”

Guest host Bianna Golodryga said, “I want to read an excerpt from The New York Times op-ed written by a retired and staunchly conservative Judge J. Michael Luttig. He called the Republican base spineless for its continued support of Trump. He said if he is convicted on espionage charges and fails to shake the Republican Party to its political senses, that it is beyond saving, nor ought to be saved. Were you surprised by this take?”

Begala said, “The judge has stepped out. He testified so powerfully before the January 6 Committee. For people who don’t know, he’s one of the most respected, esteemed and conservative legal minds of the last half century, widely respected. For him to say that, he’s no liberal, for him to say that is quite shocking.”

He added, “Our last CNN poll, 23% of Republicans said they could never support Trump for the nomination. He’s the dominant candidate for the rest of the party. When you’re losing 23% of your party, some number will bleed over to the general election. Trump got 94% of Republicans against Joe Biden and it still wasn’t enough. He lost. The judge is right, they may find a situation where Trump is unbeatable for the nomination but unelectable in the general election. That’s catastrophe for the Republican Party.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN