The US Senate has acquitted Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial. The vote was 57 to 43. The office of Senator Debbie Stabenow has released the following:
Senator Debbie Stabenow released the following statement after voting to convict on the article of impeachment:
“While the U.S. Senate did not achieve the two-thirds vote necessary to convict former President Donald Trump, this will go down in history as the largest bipartisan vote ever to hold a President accountable for High Crimes and Misdemeanors under our Constitution.
“Former President Donald Trump spent months pushing a big lie – that the November election was stolen from him. He inspired, encouraged, and incited a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in order to stop the certification of the Electoral College vote. And then he did nothing to stop the violence, which caused massive injury and loss of life.
“This wasn’t just an attack on a building. It was an attack on all of the people who work there. It was an attack on our form of government. It was an attack on our Constitution. It was an attack on We the People.
“This bipartisan vote sent an important message: In America, no President is above the law. And inciting violence against the government is illegal and dangerous.
“Now, as a nation, we must move forward. We must do everything we can to bring down the temperature of our debates, find common ground on issues we care about, and reduce the divide in our families and communities. And we must continue to strive for accountability and justice. Our democracy demands no less.”
Senator Gary Peter’s has released the following statement:
“As an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and as a U.S. Senator, I took an oath to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution. After carefully listening to all the evidence presented in this trial, it is overwhelmingly clear that Donald Trump violated his oath of office by inciting a violent, deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol and our democracy.
“The facts show that Trump intentionally promoted false conspiracies — including here in Michigan — that provoked an assault on the peaceful transfer of power. The bipartisan vote to hold Trump accountable in both the House and the Senate reflects the gravity of his misconduct.
“My focus remains on the challenges that the Senate must address — first and foremost is the need for a robust COVID relief package that addresses the health and economic crisis Michigan is facing. We must provide more support to help struggling families and small businesses, speed up vaccine distribution, give resources to help schools safely reopen and help communities on the frontlines, so they are not forced to lay off health professionals, teachers, firefighters and law enforcement officers.”
