DONALD TRUMP ACQUITTED – WHAT’S NEXT?
Every Democrat and seven Republicans voted “guilty,” falling ten votes short of the two-thirds necessary for conviction. It took a short five days to reach a verdict, charging Mr. Trump with “incitement of insurrection. There were many factors that played into such a short trial. One being that both parties wanted to avoid a prolonged proceeding and the other because some of Trump’s allies made it clear they were set on not holding the former president responsible.
“There is no question — none — that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,” Mr. McConnell said. “The leader of the free world cannot spend weeks thundering that shadowy forces are stealing our country and then feign surprise when people believe him and do reckless things.” Mr. McConnell also stated that impeachment is meant to remove an official from office, not pursue them afterward, and the Senate should not try a former president.
So what happens next? Unfortunately, the “not guilty” verdict allows Trump to run for office again. Whether he will recover after becoming the first president to face two impeachment trials is uncertain. He endangered his own right-hand man, former vice president Mike Pence, lawmakers, and the American people trying to overturn the election results. Despite Trump being unliked by the nation as a whole, a Gallup poll shows that Trump has an 87 percent approval rating among Republicans.
The Senate will now confirm Biden’s cabinet appointees and work on his legislative agenda to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic and severe economic downfall.
“President Biden has done a very good job of separating himself from the impeachment trial proceedings and keep his messaging on the Covid-19 crisis and the accompanying economic crisis,” Schiller said.
