Topline
Former President Donald Trump on Saturday put out a celebratory statement on his acquittal at the hands of the U.S. Senate, declaring the MAGA movement has “only just begun.”
US President Donald Trump speaks before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on … [+] January 20, 2021. – President Trump travels to his Mar-a-Lago golf club residence in Palm Beach, Florida, and will not attend the inauguration for President-elect Joe Biden. (Photo by ALEX EDELMAN / AFP) (Photo by ALEX EDELMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Key Facts
The Senate voted to acquit Trump in a 57-43 vote, with 7 Senate Republicans breaking with their party and voting to convict him for the Jan. 6 Capitol attack – far short of the 17 GOP votes needed for Trump’s conviction.
Trump offered his “deepest thanks” to the senators and House members who “stood proudly for the Constitution we all revere and for the sacred principles at the heart of our country.”
The ex-president also tore into Democrats, accusing them of “political vengeance” and an effort to “persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints” they disagree with.
Trump did not apologize for his role in the attack, instead casting himself as the victim of the “greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country,” and claiming “no president has ever gone through anything like it.”
Trump declared his Make America Great Again movement has “only just begun,” and said he has “much to share” with supporters in the coming months.
Crucial Quote
“Let’s impeach RINOs from the Republican Party!!!” Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. tweeted, likely referencing the 10 House Republicans and 7 Senate Republicans who voted to impeach and convict Trump respectively.
Chief Critic
Despite voting for Trump’s acquittal, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested he could still be prosecuted. “We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation. And former presidents are not immune from being accountable by either one,” he said in a floor speech.
What To Watch For
Trump has frequently been mentioned as a possible candidate for the White House in 2024, but in the interim he may face significant legal jeopardy from state and local investigations into his finances and his call with Georgia election officials.
