The second impeachment trial of Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States, began on February 9, 2021 and concluded with his acquittal on February 13.
The United States Senate voted on Saturday to acquit Donald J. Trump in his second impeachment trial, as Republicans in a Senate still bruised from the most violent attack on the Capitol in two centuries banded together to reject the charge that he incited the Jan. 6 attack. A majority of senators found Trump guilty, but the vote fell short of the two-thirds margin needed to convict him. The final vote was 57-43, with seven Republican senators joining all Democrats and both independents in voting guilty. The outcome, which was never in doubt, reflected both the still raw anger of senators over Trump’s conduct as his supporters stormed the Capitol last month – and the vice-like grip the defeated president still holds over his party. The swift conclusion of the Senate trial, only the fourth presidential impeachment in American history – and Trump’s second in just over a year – capped one of the most tumultuous chapters in the nation’s political history. Still shaken by the deadly riot that threatened America’s commitment to a peaceful transfer of power, senators of both parties were eager to turn the page.
Senator Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, said Trump’s conduct preceding the assault on the Capitol amounted to a “disgraceful dereliction of duty” by the former president, who he held “practically, and morally, responsible for provoking the events of the day”. But McConnell concluded that the Senate was never meant to serve as a “moral tribunal” and suggested instead that Trump could still face criminal prosecution.“President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he’s in office,” McConnell said. “He didn’t get away with anything yet.”
Moments after the “not guilty” verdict was announced, a defiant Trump thanked Republicans who stood by him and decried what he called “yet another phase of the greatest witch-hunt in the history of our country”.
“This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country. 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,” Trump said in a statement. He expressed no remorse and made no mention of the violence that unfolded in his name, but signaled his desire to remain a political force within the party. “Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun. “ he declared triumphantly.
Trump was the first US president to be impeached twice and is now the first president to be twice acquitted. The decision leave him free to pursue another tilt at the White House in 2024, though polling suggests the violent end to his presidency left his reputation badly damaged. On the other hand, while he is free of the impeachment threat, Mr. Trump still faces possible legal jeopardy stemming from his efforts to subvert the election through false claims of fraud. Legal experts said the former president could likewise be exposed to civil litigation from victims of the Capitol rampage. And there are continuing investigations of his finances in New York.
By Alizé Utteryn 02/13/2021
