Donald J Trump, former President of the United States, has been acquitted of all charges of inciting the US Capitol Hill violence on January 6. After four days of the impeachment trial, only 57 Senators, including seven Republicans, voted to convict him, short of the 67 needed for the two-thirds majority to convict him. Donald Trump is the first-ever president to have been impeached twice and the first president to have faced impeachment after leaving office.
Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives in January on the charge that he incited an insurrection when his supporters attacked the Capitol on January 6 leaving five people, including at least two police officers dead. A section of Trump's supporters from a rally addressed by Trump went to the Capitol and overwhelmed security while Congress was tallying the electoral college votes electing Joe Biden as president. The House accused him of inciting the riot in which his supporters entered the Senate chamber and offices of officials like Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the Senate session and others managed to barely to be evacuated.
Even as seven Republican Senators voted in favour of impeaching Trump, the Democrats, who have 50 members in the Senate, failed to get the necessary two-thirds or 67 votes to impeach the former president. Seven Republican Senators — Bill Cassidy, Richard Burr, Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Ben Sasse and Pat Toomey — voted in favour of impeaching him.
Incidentally, soon after the former US president was acquitted, Senator Mitch McConnel, who is the Republican from Kentucky, criticised Donald Trump for "disgraceful dereliction of duty," reported The New York Times. Even as held Donald Trump responsible for the Capitol violence, he pointed out that according to the Constitution, the Senate should not try a former president. McConnel said that the impeachment, which he termed a "narrow tool", was meant to remove a president from the office and not to pursue them later. The Democrats, however, slammed McConnell for not calling the Senate back in session before Donald Trump left office.
Sen. Mitch McConnell: "There's no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day." pic.twitter.com/16efbOtYjS
— The Hill (@thehill) February 14, 2021
Democratic prosecutors, known technically as House managers, spent two days building the case against him using videos of the attack interspersed with Trump's statements. The videos made for an emotional case against Trump by showing the imminent danger members of Congress were in but it could only persuade only seven Republicans to defect.
To 57 bipartisan senators and in the court of public opinion, we proved Donald Trump guilty of the greatest crime ever against our Constitution. And, we did it with overwhelming, un-contradicted evidence. We didn’t need more witnesses, we needed more spines.
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) February 13, 2021
"This trial is not born from hatred, far from it. It's born from love of country -- our country, our desire to maintain it, our desire to see America at its best," says Rep. Neguse during closing arguments of former President Trump's second impeachment trial. pic.twitter.com/R4MJZbTCZR
— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) February 13, 2021
The Congress and Country can take great pride in the House Impeachment Managers, who defended our Constitution & Democracy with a moving presentation demonstrating love of country and loyalty to our oath and the facts. https://t.co/d4GbNemR3Z
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) February 13, 2021
Trump's defence was mainly centered on the constitutional right to free speech, which they said Trump exercised by questioning the results of the election and urging supporters to protest.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump released a statement soon after the acquittal, saying "no president has ever gone through anything like it."
He further said, "It is a sad commentary on the times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree," he said.
"I always have, and always will, be a champion for the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honorably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate," he said.
"This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country, he said, adding, "No president has ever gone through anything like it, and it continues because our opponents cannot forget the almost 75 million people, the highest number ever for a sitting president, who voted for us just a few short months ago."
The Washington Post said that the result underscored Trump's continued grip on most Republicans despite the party losing control of both the White House and Congress during his tumultuous tenure.
"I want to first thank my team of dedicated lawyers and others for their tireless work upholding justice and defending truth. My deepest thanks as well to all of the United States Senators and Members of Congress who stood proudly for the Constitution we all revere and for the sacred legal principles at the heart of our country," Trump said in the statement.
(With input from PTI and Arul Louis of IANS)