President Joe Biden acknowledged Saturday night that Donald Trump’s acquittal in the second impeachment trial against him shows that the “democracy is fragile” and for this reason he asked all the citizens of the country to “defend the truth and report lies.”
The United States will be able to end the “non-civil war” between Democrats and Republicans and “heal the soul of the nation” only by using the truth, Biden argued.
“This sad chapter in our history has reminded us democracy is fragile. That you always have to defend it. That we must always be alert. That violence and extremism have no place in the US. And each of us has a duty and responsibility as Americans, and especially as leaders, to defend the truth and defeat lies, ”he said.
AP / Evan Vucci
Biden took a stand in a statement hours after the US Senate acquitted Trump of “inciting insurrection” in the January 6 attack on the Capitol, which killed five people.
Total 57 senators for the conviction and 43 againstBut the Democrats needed a majority of 67 votes to endorse the former president, something that seemed highly unlikely from the start.
[¿Fue sedición lo que pasó en el Capitolio? Verificamos lo que ocurrió y se dijo el día del asalto]
Nevertheless, seven Republicans voted to condemn Trump: Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Bill Cassidy, Pat Toomey and Richard Burr.
That is why, despite the acquittal, it concerns the accusation presidential that more bipartisan support has been received from the four in the country’s history, a list of the trials against Andrew Johnson (1865-1869), Bill Clinton (1993-2001) and both against Trump.
“While the final vote (of the Senate) did not lead to a declaration of guilt, the substance of the charge is not in dispute,” Biden said, noting that even the Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, held Trump responsible. for the attack.
“There is no doubt that the president Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that dayThere’s no question about it, ”the Kentucky Republican said Saturday.
[“Estoy perturbada”, dice la senadora republicana Lisa Murkowski por imágenes inéditas del asalto al Capitolio]
Trump’s impeachment lasted only five days, as both sides opted for a quick trial without witnesses.
Meanwhile, upon learning of the outcome, Trump said his movement “has only just begun”, calling the trial “yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in our country’s history.”
The process will go down in history in two ways: because it made Trump the first US president to confront and are acquitted in two political trialss –after the one that was held a year ago because of the pressure on Ukraine– and because it has never been one before accusation to an agent when he is no longer in power.
With information from EFE and AP.