The former United State President, Donald Trump has been acquitted by the Senate on charges of inciting the deadly 6 January riot at the Capitol.
A total of 57 US senators voted to impeach the former president, with 43 opposed, but a two-thirds majority of 67 votes in favour of impeachment was required to impeach Trump.
In a statement released immediately after the vote, the office of the former president said “this has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country”.
“It is a sad commentary on our times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree,” the statement said.
“I always have, and always will, be a champion for the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honorably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate.”
Seven Republican senators voted in favour of the impeachment – Richard Burr, Ben Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse and Pat Toomey. As expected, all Democratic Senators voted to convict.
Recall that the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives had passed in impeachment charge in January, stating that Trump had “threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a co-equal branch of government”.
