Donald Trump is Acquitted

To no one’s surprise Donald Trump was acquitted on February 13, 2021 of the charge of “incitement of insurrection” at his second impeachment trial. Seven Republican Senators, along with all the Democrat Senators, voted to convict. But seventeen were needed. For a more detailed explanation of the 2nd impeachment of Donald Trump, please refer to my January ​29, 2021 post "Is the Second Impeachment Trial of Donald Trump a Good Idea?" 

Here are my key takeaways from the impeachment trial:

​Political Gamesmanship: Mitch McConnell is no fan of Trump and he would love to rid the party of him. But he loves his position and his power even more. McConnell is first and foremost a party man, and he is focused on the 2022 mid-term elections with the goal of retaking the Senate and possibly the House. Like most of his Republican colleagues, McConnell went on record by voting that it is unconstitutional to impeach a president who is already out of office. This was a calculated move to provide his colleagues with political cover.  By voting to acquit on constitutional grounds, a senator could satisfy Trump’s loyal supporters, and not turn off those Republican voters who were repulsed by Trump’s actions. This is exactly what McConnell did with his post-trial statement blasting Trump: “Former President Trump’s actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful, disgraceful dereliction of duty. There’s no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. No question about it. The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president.”

Wow, the House managers could have used McConnell to make their case against Trump. But alas, McConnell knew that there weren’t enough Republican votes to convict Trump, and he wasn’t about to jeopardize his standing in the party by voting with the opposition. 

​It's Still Donald Trump’s Party: State Republican parties were quick to censure Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump. This follows the condemnation received by Republican House members in their home states for voting for impeachment. Even party stalwart Liz Cheney was censured by the GOP in her home state of Wyoming.

In his unrepentant way, Donald Trump blasted the trial as another phase of the greatest witch hunt in history. In a statement released shortly after being acquitted he said, “Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun”. This doesn’t sound like a guy who is going to fade into the background, and Republican politicians who ignore him, do so at their own peril.

​Many Unanswered Questions Remain:  Unfortunately, the trial did not provide the truth and accountability that Chuck Schumer had hoped for. In the words of one of the House Managers, Joaquin Castro, “There’s a lot we don’t know yet about what happened that day”. Most of the evidence presented was based on news reports and social media postings. But not to worry. Yesterday Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that Congress will establish an independent commission to investigate the attack on the Capitol. I doubt that the investigation will turn up anything that will put Donald Trump in criminal jeopardy. But the lapses in security at the Capitol need to be investigated, if for no other reason than to prevent another horrific incident like that on January 6, 2021. 

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Thanks,
Armchair American