US Senate fails to hold Trump accountable again
The second impeachment trial of Donald Trump has come to an end with US senators voting to acquit the former president.
The Democratic-held Senate voted 57-43 Saturday to convict Trump for inciting violence at the US Capitol on Jan. 6 but he was ultimately acquitted as the impeachment effort failed to gain two thirds of the votes.
The final vote failed to convict Trump on the charge of inciting insurrection, bearing an identical outcome to the previous round of impeachment, launched over Trump's abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Trump released a statement following acquittal on Saturday and called the trial “yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt” in US history.
“Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun,” Trump said. “In the months ahead I have much to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people.”
The bipartisan majority needed at least 17 Republicans to join them to convict Trump for the breach of the Capitol by his supporters, which ultimately resulted in the death of seven people.
The seven Republicans turning against Trump were Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.
US Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, who had previously supported the impeachment, voted to acquit Trump.
“While a close call, I am persuaded that impeachments are a tool primarily of removal and we therefore lack jurisdiction,” the Kentucky Republican wrote to colleagues in an email earlier in the day.
Trump is the first US president to ever be impeached and tried twice, and that to no avail in terms of accountability.
The Congress targeted Trump after his supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop the counting of now-President Joe Biden's electoral college victory.
The second impeachment trial closes the last chapter to Trump’s presidency with Democrats’ apparent failure to bar him from holding public office in the future.
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