Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, put out a statement shortly after Donald Trump was acquitted by the Republican led Senate, an outcome that was utterly predictable and yet still totally heartbreaking.
Starting with a reference to the founding fathers and a straight up dig at Mitch McConnell, the architect of evil:
“Today, the President and Senate Republicans have normalized lawlessness and rejected the system of checks and balances of our Constitution. Our Founders put safeguards in the Constitution to protect against a rogue president. They never imagined that they would at the same time have a rogue leader in the Senate who would cowardly abandon his duty to uphold the Constitution."
Making it clear that the American people want Trump removed. Period. And also the amazing fact that Trump was the first President* to actually have a member of his own party vote to convict him (Mitt Romney):
"President Trump was impeached with the support of a majority of the American people – a first in our nation’s history. And now he is the first President in history to face a bipartisan vote to convict him in the Senate. A full 75 percent of Americans and many members of the GOP Senate believe the President’s behavior is wrong. But the Senate chose instead to ignore the facts, the will of the American people and their duty to the Constitution."
Obviously, Trump and his cronies will boast that he was acquitted. But that is not the truth. He didn't have a real trial, so it is really more of a sham than an acquittal, and he certainly hasn't been exonerated.
"The President will boast that he has been acquitted. There can be no acquittal without a trial, and there is no trial without witnesses, documents and evidence. By suppressing the evidence and rejecting the most basic elements of a fair judicial process, the Republican Senate made themselves willing accomplices to the President’s cover-up."
Oh, and there is that silly issue of witnesses and documents. You know, *evidence*:
"Even without additional witnesses and documents in the Senate trial, our House Managers laid out an overwhelming, compelling and incriminating case about President Trump’s scheme to corrupt the 2020 elections and proved his guilt. The President’s legal team could not and did not refute the facts of the case. Instead, they argued that the American people have no right to stop the President from using the power of his office to cheat in our elections. They argued that if the President thinks that his re-election is good for the country, he can use any means necessary to win, with no accountability or consequences."
And this fun reminder that no matter the outcome of the Senate "sham trial", Trump will forever be impeached.
"In December, the House defended democracy by passing two articles of impeachment to hold the President accountable for abusing his office for his own personal, political gain at the expense of our national security and the integrity of our elections. The President has been impeached forever."
And the last dig of the knife - calling out the Republicans for betraying the Constitution:
"Sadly, because of the Republican Senate’s betrayal of the Constitution, the President remains an ongoing threat to American democracy, with his insistence that he is above the law and that he can corrupt the elections if he wants to. The House will continue to protect and defend the checks and balances in the Constitution that safeguard our Republic, both in the courts of law and in the court of public opinion. Democrats will continue to defend our democracy For The People.”
Nancy Pelosi is right. The Republicans betrayed the Constitution, the will of their supporters and the Founding Fathers. They put their own personal careers and the fear of a mean tweet ahead of what is best for the country. They turned a blind eye to abuse of power, corruption and true evil in the hopes that they will get reelected or be accepted into MAGA lobbying or a FOX News job one day.
Pathetic, thy name is Senate Republicans (except Mitt Romney, who put country over party).
