On Feb. 13, the U.S. Senate acquitted Donald Trump of inciting the horrific attack on the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6, concluding a historic impeachment trial, The Chicago Tribune reported.
The Senate convened for a rare weekend session to deliver its verdict, voting while armed National Guard troops continued to stand their posts outside the iconic building.
The verdict was 57-43 to convict, meaning that seven Republicans joined the 50 Democrats. However, it was far from the two-third threshold (or 67 senators) required.
Voting to find Trump guilty were GOP Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania. Although Trump was acquitted, it was easily the largest number of senators to ever vote to find a president of their own party guilty of an impeachment charge.
Even after voting to acquit, the Republican leader Mitch McConnell condemned the former president as 'practically and morally responsible' for the insurrection. Trump could not be convicted because he was out of office, McConnell contended.
Donald Trump is the only president to be impeached twice.
In a statement sent to Windy City Times, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Illinois) said, in part, "This acquittal is a miscarriage of justice and an afront to the Constitution. To every Senator who voted to acquit I have one question: if Donald Trump's actions are not worthy of conviction if inciting a mob to attack the US Capitol, to pursue the Vice President with the intention of hanging him on the Capitol lawn, and to murder a Capitol Police Officer and injure hundreds more is not worthy of convictionthen what is?"
LGBTQ+ media-advocacy group GLAAD also issued a press release. GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said, "The verdict does not reflect the truth understood by a majority of Americans, that Donald Trump recklessly and maliciously directed his supporters to attack the Capitol and our democracy. The Trump administration will forever be defined by misinformation and violence, tactics the former president weaponized against LGBTQ people and other vulnerable communities before turning them loose on our government on January 6th.
"Senators voting to acquit are now and for all of history recorded for their cowardice in failing to hold the former president accountable for his lawless, destructive behavior. Let this be a turning point for our country, where we demand a return to shared core values of truth, safety and integrity to protect the least among us, especially from those chosen to lead us."