Today, the Senate voted to acquit the former so-called "president" Trump on the impeachment charges stemming from the violent and deadly insurrection he inspired on January 6. Everybody knew the trial was ultimately going to end in an acquittal but as the House impeachment managers built their case over two days earlier this week, the depth of Trump's treachery and the certainty of his responsibility became so overwhelming, it was easy to forget that the Republicans just don't care.
As the case evolved over the week, it became impossible to ignore the treasonous nature of the insurrection - Trump, angry and in disbelief that he lost the election, spent over two months endlessly repeating lies about "massive voter fraud" and working his base up into a frenzy. Finally, as the Senate was performing their constitutional and basically ceremonial certification of the election, Trump told a crowd he had gathered at the White House to be ready to "fight like hell" or they "won't have a country any more.," and directed them to march to the Capitol and make themselves heard.
They did, breaking into the Capitol, looting and trashing offices, and temporarily disrupting the certification. Five people died in the insurrection, and many more were wounded and/or traumatized. Nevertheless, the Senate reconvened that same day to complete the certification and declared Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 election.
For the first time in American history, there was not a "peaceful transfer of power."
To be sure, although a few die-hard Republican Senators probably actually believe that Trump wasn't guilty of the charges, most can't deny his responsibility. Whether or not he was guilty as charged was hardly an issue for his defense. His attorneys, knowing the outcome was a sure thing anyway, just needed to give the Republicans some semblance of an excuse to vote to acquit him, and they found one - even though Trump was still in office at the time he was impeached on Jan. 6, then-Majority Leader Moscow Mitch McConnell wouldn't call the Senate back from recess and act on the impeachment until after the Inauguration, so by the time of his trial, Trump was no longer the acting president. The Republicans decided it was unconstitutional to try a private citizen for impeachment, and that was enough for them to vote to acquit.
Not that they necessarily believed the Constitutional argument either. The first full day of the prosecution laid out in clear scholarly, legal, and political terms the constitutionality of the case, and the Senate had even voted on this issue previously, with a narrow majority approving the process.
The truth of the matter is no Republican congressman, Senate or House, wants to be seen even appearing to oppose Trump and upsetting his fanatical base followers. So deep is the cult of personality, that even Trump's Vice President, the ever-loyal Mike Pence, was facing calls of "Traitor!" and threats of lynching because he didn't illegally declare Trump the victor at the Senate certification ceremony - something he wasn't in a position to do legally or procedurally, even if he had wanted. But facts don't matter to the Trump base - you're either 101% unflinchingly loyal to their idol, or you're an enemy of the people and better be looking back over your shoulder.
The Senators did not want to go down the path of Mike Pence, or earlier this month, Liz Chaney, and needed some excuse not to vote their conscience on this matter. Trump's attorneys said, despite all the previous testimony and the Senate's own vote, that the impeachment was unconstitutional and that's all the protective covering they needed to vote to acquit.
They are shameful cowards all. I can't wait to see them reap the karmic consequences of their actions, and only regret that I won't live long enough to see all of this impugned in the history books of the future.
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