Donald Trump has released a statement celebrating the Senate vote to acquit him of incitement of insurrection.
“I want to first thank my team of dedicated lawyers and others for their tireless work upholding justice and defending truth,” the former president said.
“My deepest thanks as well to all of the United States Senators and Members of Congress who stood proudly for the Constitution we all revere and for the sacred legal principles at the heart of our country.”
Trump condemned the impeachment trial as “another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country,” even though seven Republican senators voted to convict him.
The former president also nodded at his political future now that he is free to run for the White House in 2024.
“Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun. In the months ahead I have much to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people. There has never been anything like it,” Trump said.
The statement comes after impeachment managers spent days warning that Trump would threaten the safety of American democracy if he was allowed to run for public office again.
Although the Senate fell 10 votes short of convicting Donald Trump, it’s worth noting that this is the most bipartisan impeachment vote in Senate history.
The House vote last month was also the most bipartisan presidential impeachment in US history.
The seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict Donald Trump were Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse and Pat Toomey.
Two of those seven Republicans – Burr and Toomey – are retiring. Two other retiring Republicans – Rob Portman and Richard Shelby – voted to acquit Trump.
