We need reasons why the Senate acquitted Trump for impeachment and we need these reasons NOW. The US watched the impeachment trials worriedly in their homes for the past couple of weeks. Both the prosecution and defense presented their takes on the case. We all know WHY Trump has to be impeached. It’s not that the Senate did not try to impeach former President Trump. It’s just that they can’t. This article explains, on the surface, why Senate acquitted Trump DESPITE a glaring presentation of evidence.
The Defense: Key Takeaways from the trial
Here is a summary of how Trump’s lawyers defended him during the trial:
- The defense accused the Democrats of ‘selectively editing Trump’s speeches’ to misrepresent him
- Even democrats, in history, have challenged the election results too.
- Did his words really incite violence?
- Trump’s impeachment would have a “chilling effect” on political speech across the country
So, now that we know how the lawyers tried to convince the Senate about his innocence. Here are the REAL reasons why he was acquitted:
A 57 to 43 Majority
There are a total of 100 seats in the United States Senate. This is represented almost toe-to-toe by the two largest political parties in the country. Currently, 48 Senators are members of the Democratic party, 50 members from the Republican party, and two senators are independent. The 57 to 43 majority vote means that 57 out of the 100 senators voted FOR Trump’s impeachment, while the remaining 43 senators VOTED AGAINST Trump’s impeachment.
For ordinary people like us, this sounds like a sure win for the Democrats right? Finally, we are going to get the justice we need from Trump’s administration. Nope, we are wrong. The world is surprised by the news that Trump was acquitted from impeachment by the Senate for the SECOND TIME.
The Necessary Two-thirds
We have to understand the law. Even if the impeachment vote exceeds those that voted against it, two-thirds of the Senate must come to the same conclusion. It means that a minimum of 67 senators must vote FOR Trump’s impeachment for the decision to be viable. This is clearly stated in the constitution that a two-thirds vote of the senate is needed to convict an official for impeachment. The penalty for this is removal from office. When the two-thirds vote is reached, there is no appeal for this decision.
What does the 57 to 43 majority mean then? The Senate fell 10 votes short to impeach Trump. THIS is WHY he is acquitted.
Republican Loyalty
At the end of it all, the votes boiled down to loyalty from his fellow Republicans. Republican senators have stood by the president from the beginning and in more ways than one. Out of the 50 Republican members of the Senate, only seven voted for his impeachment. These include Lisa Murkowski, Ben Sasse, Mitt Romney, Pat Toomey, Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, and Susan Collins.
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