A president acquitted. The balance of power tested.

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The Washington Post

News, True Crime, Politics

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🗓️ 5 February 2020

⏱️ 22 minutes

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Summary

The United States Senate acquitted President Trump on charges — brought by the House of Representatives — of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

The vote fell largely along party lines, with one exceptions. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah historically voted with the Democrats to convict the president on the first article: abuse of power. That marked the first time in American history that a member of the president’s own party has voted to remove him. Romney voted with Republicans to acquit Trump on the second article: obstruction of congress.

This moment is only the third time in U.S. history that the Senate has held an impeachment trial. The Senate has never voted to convict and remove a president.

An impeachment trial in the Senate means Congress is deciding where to draw lines around presidential conduct: What’s acceptable, what’s inappropriate and what rises to the level of “high crimes and misdemeanors?”

Over the course of the Senate trial, House managers and Trump’s lawyers engaged in arguments for their respective positions. Trump’s acquittal can be interpreted as a reflection of the Senate agreeing with those arguments.

And if that’s case, which of the Trump team’s arguments have established new precedent? How might this acquittal embolden not only this president, but future presidents? At the end of this partisan impeachment process, has the balance of power shifted in this country and can the pendulum ever swing back toward equilibrium?

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Transcript

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0:00.0	After months of hearings, the House will be in order.
0:06.2	Of investigations.
0:07.2	You will come to order.
0:08.2	Good morning, everyone.
0:10.6	Of testimonies.
0:13.2	The House Committee on the Judiciary will come to order.
0:15.8	After battles over documents and witnesses.
0:18.7	America will remember this day, unfortunately, where the Senate did not live up to its responsibilities,
0:25.9	where the Senate turned away from truth and went along with a sham trial.
0:32.0	After countless claims of inappropriate behavior and rebuttals of a perfect call.
0:37.1	That call was perfect.
0:38.1	It couldn't have been nicer and even the Ukrainian government put out a statement that that was
0:42.6	a perfect call.
0:43.6	There was no pressure put on them whatsoever.
0:46.2	President Donald Trump's impeachment process finally comes to an end.
0:50.4	The Senate having tried Donald John Trump, President of the United States, upon two articles
0:55.5	of impeachment, exhibited against him by the House of Representatives, and two-thirds
1:00.6	of the Senate's president not having found him guilty of the charges contained therein.
1:06.4	It is therefore ordered and a judge that the said Donald John Trump be, and he is hereby,
1:13.0	acquitted of the charges in said articles.
1:17.9	The United States Senate acquitted Trump on charges brought by the House of Representatives
1:22.2	of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
	...

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