Well, after a five day trial the Senate acquitted Donald Trump once again. This time, at least a majority of Senators voted to convict (57:43). But not the 2/3rds vote needed. (The last time the two articles were voted down 48:52 and 47:53).
The House Impeachment Managers were convincing enough that they picked off 7 Republicans: Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Bill Cassidy, and Pat Toomey. The other 43 voted to acquit.
The most remarkable of those votes was that of Mitch McConnell, the former Senate Majority Leader, who had been teasing for the entire week that he might vote to convict, and that he considered this a “conscience vote” for his membership.
But, of course, he voted to acquit.
He then proceeded to give a speech in which he reiterated almost all of the House Manager’s arguments, but then concluded that the Senate could not convict a President who is already out of office.
That’s a position that almost no Constitutional Law experts agree with.
McConnell is clearly trying to vindicate in the judgment of history, which he must know is coming. But I don’t think he convinced anyone.
Now, there is still the 14th Amendment §3 argument, which could keep Trump from ever running for President again.
Maybe.
In the end, this is a pretty incomprehensible day for American democracy. As many commentators have noted, if inciting an insurrection isn’t grounds for impeachment, then what the fuck is?
