The battle is over but the war rolls on.
The US Senate acquitted President Donald Trump on both articles in his impeachment trial after five months of fractious proceedings.
Immediately after the vote, a bullish Mr Trump tweeted “VICTORY”.
I will be making a public statement tomorrow at 12:00pm from the @WhiteHouse to discuss our Country’s VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2020
The conclusion of the trial comes nine months before Mr Trump calls on voters in a deeply divided America to give him a second White House term.
“President Trump has been totally vindicated and it’s now time to get back to the business of the American people,” Mr Trump’s campaign manager, Brad Parscale, said in a statement.
Mr Trump was found not guilty on Wednesday (local time), as voting on the two articles – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress – went overwhelmingly along party lines.
The trial and subsequent vote was triggered by Mr Trump’s impeachment, approved by the Democratic-led House of Representatives on December 18.
However, votes fell far short of the two-thirds majority required in the 100-seat Senate to remove Mr Trump under the US Constitution.
As a result, Mr Trump survived only the third presidential impeachment trial in US history.
A conviction on either count would seen Vice President Mike Pence, another Republican, elevated to the presidency.
In the previous presidential impeachment trials, Andrew Johnson was acquitted in 1868 in the aftermath of the American Civil War and Bill Clinton was acquitted in 1999 of charges stemming from a sex scandal.
The Senate voted 52-48 to acquit Mr Trump, 73, of abuse of power stemming from his request that Ukraine investigate political rival Joe Biden, a contender for the Democratic nomination to face Mr Trump in the November 3 election.
Of the Republicans, only Senator Mitt Romney broke ranks to side with the Democrats on the charge of abuse of power.
Mr Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, described the President’s actions in pressuring Ukraine to investigate Mr Biden as “grievously wrong” and said Mr Trump was “guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust”.
It didn’t take Mr Trump long to vent his feelings about Mr Romney’s decision and preceding sentiments, as the President took to social media to attack the Utah Senator.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2020
The Senate then voted 53-47 to acquit Mr Trump of obstruction of Congress by blocking witnesses and documents sought by the House.
No Democrat voted to acquit.
Led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Republicans were able to orchestrate a pared-down trial with no witnesses or new evidence.
Democrats labelled the trial a sham and a cover-up.
Mr Trump called the impeachment an attempted coup and a Democratic attempt to annul his 2016 election victory.
Enjoying his highest approval ratings since coming to office, Mr Trump is now focusing his efforts on securing re-election.
The President faces no serious challengers for his party’s presidential nomination.
He is poised to claim the nomination at the party’s convention in August and previewed in his State of the Union address on Tuesday campaign themes such as American renewal, economic vitality and hardline immigration policies.
-with agencies
The post Impeachment drama over, Donald Trump sets sights on re-election campaign appeared first on The New Daily.
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