Trump's acquittal: Senate Republican leader McConnell defends his vote to dismiss charge

United States Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has reacted to the former President Donald Trump’s incitement to insurrection charge of January 6 riots as he supported his vote to acquit Trump from the charge. McConnell wrote in an op-ed for Wall Street Journal saying “there is no question former President Trump bears moral responsibility” of the US Capitol attack. However, he also added that "Article II, Section 4 limits impeachment and conviction to current officers".

He added, “His supporters stormed the Capitol because of the unhinged falsehoods he shouted into the world's largest megaphone. His behaviour during and after the chaos was also unconscionable, from attacking Vice President Mike Pence during the riot to praising the criminals after it ended.” Senate Republican leader elaborated, “I was as outraged as any member of Congress...But senators take our own oaths. Our job wasn't to find some way, any way, to inflict punishment. The Senate's first and foundational duty was to protect the Constitution.” McConnell also added that “after intense study, I concluded that Article II, Section 4 limits impeachment and conviction to current officers."

Mitch McConnell’s remarks echoed those he made during the comments on the Senate floor shortly after Donald Trump was cleared of all the charges when he suggested that the former US President could be subject to criminal prosecution in the future. McConnell had not even publicly committed about how he would vote prior to doing so. Hence, in the op-ed published on Monday, he lambasted the critics of the constitutionality argument. He wrote, “What deserve no respect are claims that constitutional concerns are trivialities that courageous senators would have ignored”

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Donald Trump acquitted in Senate

In the Senate Chamber on Saturday, 57 senators voted to convict the former US President Donald Trump but a two-thirds majority in the 100-member body was required to formally punish and bar him from running for office again. At least seven Republican defections, among them Trump’s public critic Mitt Romney of Utah made it the most bipartisan impeachment verdict of four in the American history. Trump was acquitted similar to all impeachments of US presidents in the US history including Andrew Johnson in 1868, Bill Clinton in 1999 and himself in his first trial last year. 

Read - US: Impeachment Isn't The Final Word On Capitol Riot For Trump

Read - Impeachment Isn't The Final Word On Capitol Riot For Trump

(Image credits: The Associated Press)