Trump celebrates acquittal in Senate trial, foreshadows political future: 'Much to share'
Trump-McCarthy phone call would be ‘enormously important’ in establishing ‘state of mind’: Matt Bennett
Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz and Third Way co-founder Matt Bennett discuss the latest developments in the Trump impeachment trial.
Former President Donald Trump on Saturday thanked his lawyers and senators who voted against his impeachment conviction and foreshadowed his political future in a statement following the 57-43 Senate vote to acquit him of inciting an insurrection.
"I want to first thank my team of dedicated lawyers and others for their tireless work upholding justice and defending truth," Trump said. "My deepest thanks as well to all of the United States Senators and Members of Congress who stood proudly for the Constitution we all revere and for the sacred legal principles at the heart of our country."
He added: "This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country. No president has ever gone through anything like it, and it continues because our opponents cannot forget the almost 75 million people, the highest number ever for a sitting president, who voted for us just a few short months ago."
US President Donald Trump speaks to supporters from The Ellipse near the White House on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. - Thousands of Trump supporters, fueled by his spurious claims of voter fraud, are flooding the nation's capital protesting the expected certification of Joe Biden's White House victory by the US Congress. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) ((Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images))
7 REPUBLICAN SENATORS VOTE TO CONVICT TRUMP ON INCITEMENT CHARGE
Trump did not make any statements during the impeachment trial, and his statement Saturday is his first all week.
The vote Saturday was significantly more votes than the 48-52 vote in his 2020 Senate trial but still 10 short of what would have been needed to convict. The trial this week was the shortest presidential impeachment trial ever.
Trump also foreshadowed his political future.
"Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun," he said. "In the months ahead I have much to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people. There has never been anything like it!"
Supporters of President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
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Trump's second impeachment was spurred by the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Trump, after months of making false claims that he'd won the presidential election, called a rally in Washington, D.C., with his supporters for the same day Congress and then-Vice President Mike Pence were meeting in a joint session to certify the results of the election.
Trump, at the rally, repeated his false election claims and he and advisers used pitched rhetoric, riling up the large crowd. Trump at one point in the rally told his followers to "peacefully and patriotically" march to the Capitol, a comment his defenders point to as part of the reason why he does not bear responsibility for the ransacking of the Capitol.
But House impeachment managers argued that one comment did not cancel out the balance of Trump's other comments in that speech or in the proceeding months. They said he bore fundamental responsibility for the mob that breached the Capitol and forced hundreds of lawmakers and the former vice president into hiding while chanting "hang Mike Pence," among other things.
Fox News' Peter Doocy contributed to this report.
