Donald Trump Acquitted.

[Everhelpful]

https://news.sky.com/story/donald-trump-found-not-guilty-at-impeachment-trial-12217300

[naomi24]

Good. Complete waste of time and money.

[Ken4155]

Their time, their money, Naomi. Who cares?

[jim360]

Only a waste of time and money because several Republican Senators are cowards. Particularly McConnell, who stood up afterwards and explained that Trump was morally responsible for the events of January 6th and yet voted to acquit anyway, arguing that a former President couldn't be impeached within the Constitution. Leaving aside the fact that he's wrong, it also shouldn't escape anybody's notice that the trial was only delayed in the first place because McConnell refused to hold it before the end of Trump's term. How convenient for him.

Trump hasn't escaped further legal consequences by any means, though. He may yet wish he'd "only" been convicted in the Senate and barred from holding office.

[andy-hughes]

I still maintain that the impeachment process was enacted with no serious thought of a positive conclusion.

If as I believe, it was intended to humiliate Trump and damage his future political ambitions, and simultaneously to expose the Republican Party for its utter immorality and individual cowardice, then its function was fulfilled.

[tomus42]

I think it was done because it would have been wrong not to do it, even though everyone knew it had little chance of success.

It's unthinkable that a president could repeatedly lie about voter fraud in order to incite an insurrection to overturn a legitimate election result, and there not at least be some attempt to hold him accountable for his actions.

[Togo]

Ta Everhelpful. I see that the latest poll amongst American Republicans to select the 2024 party Presidential nominee puts Trump well ahead of the rest with 53% and with Pence on 12%. Haha like a scary jack in the box.

[ichkeria]

Well of course it does. I'd venture to suggest that means nothing at this moment in time.

[Paigntonian]

TOGO: He'll be too old, may be ill or no longer with us. This continual fiction is downright silly.

[ichkeria]

Mitch McConnell's speech has been criticised, with some justification, but it was the effective current party leader basically saying Trump is guilty as charged: there is no way back form Trump in the Republican party after that.

[Togo]

//TOGO: He'll be too old//
PAIGN: as old as Biden is now?

[andy-hughes]

ich - // Mitch McConnell's speech has been criticised, with some justification, but it was the effective current party leader basically saying Trump is guilty as charged: there is no way back form Trump in the Republican party after that. //

I think, when the Republicans come to choose their next candidate, and people remind them of just how many votes Trump got, there will absolutely be a way back for him - strewn with rose petals at the very least.

[Paigntonian]

People keep comparing his age with Biden but it's not actuarially valid. The chances are that, for whatever reason, he'll be unable to contest another election.

[andy-hughes]

tomus - // It's unthinkable that a president could repeatedly lie about voter fraud in order to incite an insurrection to overturn a legitimate election result, and there not at least be some attempt to hold him accountable for his actions. //

It is - but not as unthinkable as the Republicans' cowardice / political savvy (delete either / both / neither as you see fit) when faced with disgracing a man who has won them one election, nearly won them a second, and given his share of the vote, may win them a third when they put him up again next time, and i seriously believe that they will, and that explains the lack of support for his impeachment.

[Jackdaw33]

I honestly cannot see Trump gaining the nomination in '24, but you never know; it depends on how the Biden presidency plays out. If a week is a long time in politics, four years is a damn sight longer.

[jim360]

One way or another, I hope people will understand, as they really should have in 2016, that Trump is far more of a threat to the Republican Party than he was to "the left". Even now it's clear that Republicans still don't know where to stand on him. Someone who is, after all, in charge of one of modern history's most successful personality cults, is difficult to ignore or condemn without also condemning his supporters.

[Mozz71]

I'm with JD here. I'm convinced that we'll never see Trump in office again, but I can imagine someone (Ted Cruz for example) gaining office with a Trump-like campaign. Trump might be gone, but Trumpism isn't.

[andy-hughes]

Jackdaw - // I honestly cannot see Trump gaining the nomination in '24, but you never know; it depends on how the Biden presidency plays out. If a week is a long time in politics, four years is a damn sight longer. //

I think it depends less on Biden's performance as president, than the emergence of a credible candidate to stand in Trump's place, and in those terms, four years is a blink of an eye.

[andy-hughes]

Jim - // One way or another, I hope people will understand, as they really should have in 2016, that Trump is far more of a threat to the Republican Party than he was to "the left". Even now it's clear that Republicans still don't know where to stand on him. Someone who is, after all, in charge of one of modern history's most successful personality cults, is difficult to ignore or condemn without also condemning his supporters. //

I believe the Republicans will view Trump entirely on his viability as a successful candidate.

Trump famously said, with one of his usual swivel-eyed disconnected-from-reality stares, that he could shoot a man on Fifth Avenue and not be arrested, and chillingly, that may be more true than any of us would want to believe.

If Trump says the moon is made of green cheese, and the Republicans think he has a viable shot at the presidency again, they will all nod their heads.

Yes he is a deeply unpleasant individual at best, and a liability to domestic and world safety at worst, but if the Republicans think he can secure them power for four years, they will back him to the hilt.

[Jackdaw33]

//Trump might be gone, but Trumpism isn't.\\

A very valid and profound observation.

[ichkeria]

"people remind them of just how many votes Trump got"

Trump is not an electorally successful candidate really. Yes he won in 2016 but he lost the popular vote (by quite a bit)
Yes he managed to poll a record number of votes in 2020, except that ... he also managed to bring out the opposition in record numbers. In addition to which he lost the Senate and the House.
That isn't to say he won't try again but this time the door will be firmly slammed in his face. Jan 6 was an over-the cliff event that really has no return path.