WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell differed on their votes but were united in their criticism of former President Donald Trump after he was acquitted by the Senate as the impeachment trial ended Saturday.
The vote was 57-43 but fell short of the 67 votes needed to convict. Schumer voted to convict, while McConnell voted for acquittal. Seven Republicans joined 50 Democrats in voting guilty.
Schumer, D-N.Y., called the Senate’s decision “un-American” and insulting to patriots who gave their lives for our republic over the centuries.
“The former President inspired, directed, and propelled a mob to violently prevent the peaceful transfer of power, subvert the will of the people, and illegally keep that President in power,” Schumer said. “There is nothing, nothing more un-American than that,” he continued. “There is nothing, nothing more antithetical to our democracy... insulting to the generations of Americans patriots who gave their lives to defend our form of government.”
Schumer: "The majority of Republicans cannot summon the courage, or the morality, to condemn it.. this was about choosing country over Donald Trump, and 43 Republican members chose Trump. They chose Trump."
— Michael McAuliff (@mmcauliff) February 13, 2021
Schumer called the events of Jan. 6, when a crowd breached the U.S. Capitol while Congress was attempting to certify the election of President Joe Biden, Trump’s “final terrible legacy.”
“Let it live on in infamy, a stain on Donald John Trump that can never, never be washed away,” he said.
>> Senate votes to acquit on Trump impeachment
McConnell, R-Ky., called the attack on the Capitol “a disgrace,” but argued that a former president could not be convicted in an impeachment trial while not in office.
“They did this because they had been fed wild falsehoods by the most powerful man on Earth. Because he was angry. He had lost an election. Former President Trump’s actions preceded the riot were a disgraceful, disgraceful dereliction of duty,” McConnell said. “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.”
Mitch McConnell: "The president did not act swiftly. He did not do his job."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 13, 2021
However McConnell said he voted to acquit Trump because the Senate was not meant to act as a “moral tribunal.”
McConnell spoke about “wild myths” about election fraud, but added that he supported Trump’s right to use the legal system to challenge the system.
“As I stood up and said clearly at that time, the election was settled. It was over. But that just really opened a new chapter of even wilder, wilder and more unfounded claims,” 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.”
McConnell said if Trump had still been in office, “I would have carefully considered whether the House managers proved their specific charge.”
“But after intense reflection, I believe the best constitutional reading shows that Article II Section 4 exhausts the set of persons who can legitimately be impeached, tried or convicted. It’s the president, it’s the vice president and civil officers,” McConnell said. “We have no power to convict and disqualify a former officeholder who is now a private citizen.
“Donald Trump’s no longer the president. Likewise, the provision states that officers subject to impeachment and conviction shall be removed from office if convicted,” McConnell said.
The Minority Leader did not rule out the scenario that Trump could face legal action now that he is a private citizen.
“President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office as an ordinary citizen unless the statute of limitations is run, still liable for everything he did while in office,” McConnell said. “Didn’t get away with anything yet. Yet. We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation. And former presidents are not immune from being accountable by either one.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also released a statement, calling the acquittal “one of the darkest days and most dishonorable acts in our nation’s history.”
Pelosi: I salute the R Sens who voted their conscience and for our Country. Other Senate Republicans’ refusal to hold Trump accountable for igniting a violent insurrection to cling to power will go down as one of the darkest days and most dishonorable acts in our nation’s history pic.twitter.com/nsgN45poxM
— Michael McAuliff (@mmcauliff) February 13, 2021
In a news conference after the verdict, Pelosi’s comments were even more pointed.
“We censure people for using stationery for the wrong purpose,” Pelosi said. “We don’t censure people for inciting insurrection.”
Trump became the first president to be impeached twice during his term. It was the fourth impeachment trial in U.S. history, following those of Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998-99.
Cox Media Group
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