This is Brian Lair, a daily politics podcast from WNYC Studios. It's Monday, February 15th.

I'm WNYC reporter Matt Katz, and I'm filling in for Brian Laird today. Happy President's Day to you.

On this President's Day, we're beginning by trying to make sense of the historic weekend we just

experienced, the acquittal of the only president in American history to be impeached twice.

Last week, Democrats laid out a powerful detailed timeline of the insurrectionist events of January 6th with new videos and details about what former President Trump's supporters did and what President Trump didn't do as the lives of lawmakers and his own vice president were being threatened.

Then on Saturday, the Senate held what Democrats would tout as the most bipartisan vote in an

impeachment trial ever, even though Trump was ultimately acquitted.

Here's Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after the vote.

There's no question, none.

If President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.

No question about it.

The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president.

And having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements,

conspiracy theories, and reckless hyperbole, which the defeated president kept shouting into the largest megaphone on planet Earth.

And yet, and yet, McConnell voted to acquit Trump, as did all but seven Republican senators.

Now, the former president arguably holds as much power over the Republican Party and its MAGA

coalition as he did before this impeachment. And with the acquittal, Trump can run again for president

in four years. With me now to talk about this historic weekend and where we go next is

Olivia Nutsi, Washington correspondent for New York Magazine, who has followed Trump since before the beginning of his presidency and who has colorfully chronicled its many, many characters.

Good morning, Olivia.

Good morning, Matt. Thank you for having me.

Oh, it's my pleasure. Looking forward to chatting with you about all this. So this outcome of acquittal seemed almost predetermined. Like,

...