Donald Trump Acquitted in Impeachment Trial
Trump had allegedly instigated violent pro-Trump rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6.
By Rakesh Raman
As expected, the former U.S. President Donald Trump was acquitted in his second impeachment trial, as the Democrats could not get sufficient support from Republicans in the Senate.
The Senate voted that Trump was not guilty of inciting the violent riots on January 6 at the U.S. Capitol. In the final verdict pronounced Saturday (February 13), 57 senators found Trump guilty to 43 who said he is not guilty. Democrats needed 67 votes to convict Trump.
Trump was accused of incitement of insurrection, as the House of Representatives had delivered the charge to the Senate on January 25, setting in motion Trump’s second impeachment trial.
Republican Trump has become the only U.S. president who has been impeached twice by the House and the first to face trial after leaving office. Democrat Joe Biden had defeated Trump in the November presidential election to assume office on January 20.
The Senate Democrats needed the support of 17 Republicans to convict Trump in the evenly divided chamber. The 100 senators served as jurors in the proceedings that could have resulted in Trump’s disqualification from serving as president in future.
Trump had allegedly instigated violent pro-Trump rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Trump had asked them to “fight like hell” against the November election results. The House had voted 232-197 on January 13 to impeach Trump.
By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society.
