On Wednesday, the US Senate found President Donald Trump not guilty in his much-publicized impeachment trial.
On 18 December, the Democrats charged the President with allegations of pressuring Ukrainian officials to carry out illegal investigations to smear his political rivals.
The Republican-led Senate voted 52-48 to acquit Trump on the charges of abuse of power, and 53-47 on the obstruction of Congress. This will be the first time that an impeached President will be seeking re-election, as Trump gears up to campaign for the upcoming November polls.
In an address on Thursday afternoon, Trump celebrated his acquittal with a room full of supporters at the White House. In his speech, he singled out House Representative Adam Schiff and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, calling Schiff a “vicious, horrible person” and ridiculing Pelosi’s stance. He also attacked Mitt Romney, the only Republican Senator who voted against Trump, calling him a “failed presidential candidate”. He also held up a copy of that day’s Washington Post, which had the headline “Trump Acquitted”, saying he may frame the paper and keep it.
A few news outlets have compared Trump's reaction to that of Bill Clinton from 1999, stating that the President's wild tirade was starkly different from the more humble, apologetic speech given by Clinton. Voters, on the other hand, have called the impeachment process "a fine dog and pony show, a complete waste of money", stating that they would rather the Congress talks about what they are going to do for the country than focus on Trump's negativities.
Despite this victory lap, the President’s real test will come in November when the ultimate jury of over 150 million American voters will take to the polling booths to deliver their final verdict.
Image Source: Vox