Trump acquitted again

Falling 10 votes short of the required 67, the US Senate failed to impeach the ex-President over incitement charges, with a final vote count of 57 to 43.

With the results of the vote, Trump will be eligible to run again for the 2024 presidential elections. Only 7 Republicans voted for conviction – and they now face criticisms from their fellow constituents.

Democratic House of Representatives cautioned of the dangers of acquitting Trump. Representative Joe Neguse warned against a repeat of the incident on 6 January, stating that “the stakes could not be higher”.

Michael van der Veen, Trump’s lawyer, alleged that the entire process was a “show trial”, dismissing Democrat efforts as part their “political agenda”. Despite admitting Trump’s responsibility in the attacks on the Capitol, Senator Mitch McConnell voted against conviction, claiming it would be “unconstitutional”. At the same time, he implied that the ex-President could still face repercussionsin court.

Despite an initial vote for witness testimony, Senators made a change for only written statements. Congresswoman Jaime Herrera-Beutler’s statement of a conversation between Mr Kevin McCarthy and Trump was instead submitted as written evidence.

After the proceedings, President Joe Biden reminds Americans to be “ever vigilant” and to do their “duty and responsibility” to “defend the truth”.