Donald Trump has been acquitted by the Senate in his second impeachment trial for his role in the 6 January attack on the US Capitol, as was reported by the Guardian.
“After just five days of debate in the chamber that was the scene of last month’s invasion, a divided Senate fell 10 votes short of the two-thirds majority required to convict high crimes and misdemeanours. A conviction would have allowed the Senate to vote to disqualify him from holding future office. The 57-43 vote was most bipartisan support for conviction ever in a presidential impeachment trial. 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 agency reported.
Thus, seven Republicans joined every Democrat to declare Trump guilty on the charge of “incitement of insurrection”. Among the Republicans willing to defy Donald 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. The trial was concluded only five days after it began. The final verdict ruled that the former president was not guilty of inciting an insurrection at the US Capitol last month. There have now been four presidential impeachment trials in US history, and this one was by far the shortest.
As was reported by Reuters, U.S. President Joe Biden said on Saturday that the Senate’s acquittal of former President Donald Trump for inciting an insurrection was a reminder that democracy was fragile, and every American had a duty to defend the truth. Hours after the Senate failed to muster the two-thirds majority needed to convict Trump, Biden issued a statement.
According to the statement, Biden said he was thinking about Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who was killed during the siege of the Capitol on Jan. 6, others who bravely stood guard, and those who lost their lives.
He lauded the courage of those who made efforts to protect the integrity of U.S. democracy, including Democrats and Republicans, election officials and judges, elected representatives and poll workers.
“This sad chapter in our history has reminded us that democracy is fragile. That it must always be defended. That we must be ever vigilant. That violence and extremism have no place in America. And that each of us has a duty and responsibility as Americans, and especially as leaders, to defend the truth and to defeat the lies,” he said.
The president also stated that the task at hand was to end what he called “an uncivil war and heal the very soul of our nation.”
It should be noted that Donald Trump was able to avoid impeachment for the second time and such decision of the Senate will allow him to run for President of the United States in 2024.
The 45th U.S. President refused to attend the hearings in person and testify under oath. The ex-president's prosecutors, in turn, stated that Donald Trump's refusal could be considered in favour of his guilt. At the end of the day, it was assured that the impeachment announcement would be unconstitutional, as Donald Trump no longer holds a public office.