Donald Trump came out and peacocked after the acquittal vote in the Senate, 57-43, not surprisingly. Richard Burr provided an unexpected “yes” vote along with Susan Collins, Bill Cassidy, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse and Pat Toomey. Good for Bill Cassidy for standing his ground when his local GOP has so resoundingly censured him. A Republican displaying character is a rare sight, I’m grateful to Senator Cassidy for showing it to us.
Trump, for his part, has taken acquittal as vindication and endorsement and that’s how he’s playing it to the base. To hear him tell it, this could be the start of something big. The Hill:
“Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun. 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,” he said in the statement. […]
In the statement, Trump gave his “deepest thanks” to the Republicans in the Senate who he said “stood proudly for the Constitution we all revere and for the sacred legal principles at the heart of our country.”
“I also want to convey my gratitude to the millions of decent, hardworking, law-abiding, God-and-Country loving citizens who have bravely supported these important principles in these very difficult and challenging times,” Trump said.
Trump decried what he described as the “latest phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country.” […]
“It is a sad commentary on our 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,” Trump 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.”
I still say it was a mistake to cut the impeachment trial short. If it had continued and there had been witnesses, more of Trump’s wrongdoing would have been exposed and it wouldn’t be so easy for him to cavalierly make these kind of high flown statements.
Oh well, file that sentiment under spilt milk. But what about the Senate voting to preclude Trump for running from further office? That only takes a simple majority, not 2/3. Let’s keep on top of that and be ready to pick up the phone and call your senators.
The whole thing with the witness vote was simply to get Buetler’s testimony on the record, which will come into play later. Even banning him from office is something that would have just meant more litigation he would relish.
No, the real prize is going to be various criminal prosecutions that come next. That includes the DC prosecutor, who is looking into joining in the fun. So today’s game was not only rigged, it was inconsequential.
Yes, he’s clearly lost in the court of public opinion, next will be losses in real courts, where facts and reality count, and will count against him.
And they’ll have to carry the millstone of their decision around their necks through the next elections. In acquitting him they declared have their own guilt and complicity.
The important facts haven’t changed. The retrumplicans were never going to convict, getting seven across and a witness statement on the record are great achievements. The Senate voting to preclude Trump for running from further office? That only takes a simple majority, and that is the only thing a conviction on impeachment would have done anyway. So we win that too.
And there is now voluminous evidence in the public record about the evil deeds done, an impeachment trial with a biased, entwined, implicated ‘jury’ is not the right forum for conviction, the criminal courts are.
They will be.
And not just a forum, many fora for the numerous offences and civil wrongs will take place, Trump will be spending the rest of his life in court and in jail, not happily gloating and golfing. His posturing today isn’t that of a peacock strutting in the sun, but a turkey wandering on the path to slaughter.
Ironically, he is right about about a new beginning for MAGA.
It is the beginning of the end of Trumpism and the current Republican party
You are right. The witnesses will be heard — in courts of law.
You can’t really believe Trump actually wrote all these coherent sentences. The man can barely read and write.
““It is a sad commentary on our 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,” Trump said.”
Wow…..I agree with Trump-O on something….sad indeed the way Republicans have wiped their asses with the constitution and the rule of law. The events are on video for all to see, there is NO question of Trump-Os guilt, yet they vote to acquit a criminal deviant.
Too bad last year’s impeachment couldn’t have had a similar result.
What more needs to be exposed of January 6th? Nothing. We saw it first hand. Now….what about criminal charges? What about financial fraud charges? Nothing of those need the f*cking GQP for conviction.
The more I think about it, the more I strongly disagree. To the average person a bunch of talking witnesses was just going to be tiring and confusing and they’d rapidly lose interest, especially if the Republican lawyers called dozens of irrelevant witnesses, and start wondering when we’re going to get COVID relief. Even as someone following this closely, I can’t think of anything more powerful than the videos the impeachment managers showed, so the average person would’ve lost interest. Heck, I would’ve lost interest. I wouldn’t have watched!
May I suggest that the media, including this site, NOT provide a forum for this evil man to spread his lies? He nearly destroyed our country. He has blood on his hands. He clearly intends to cause further destruction.
Of course we need to keep an eye on him. A short summary of his words and actions is sufficient. Anyone who wants more coverage can find it in conservative outlets. The excessive (and free) coverage he received in 2016 is a big reason he got elected in the first place.
Yes Karen, I agree.
The corrupt Repugnicans were going to block every Biden candidate for office if the impeachment trial had continuyed with witnesses. The Democrats had no choice but to admit a pre-ordained defeat, once they’d exposed all the damning evidence of Trump’s guilt. Now they need Merrick Garland installed as AG, so the DoJ can use all that evidence to get Trump & his goons into Federal court.