Trump Acquitted After Inciting Deadly Capitol Riot

RANDY YANG (Opinions Editor), EDER HERNANDEZ (Staff Writer)

Former President Donald Trump was acquitted at his second impeachment trial; however, he should have been impeached.

The 57-43 vote allowed Trump to escape conviction and a permanent ban on holding federal office. Trump led people to riot because he insisted that the election was stolen. Despite evidence of this, many in the GOP still refused to vote for impeachment. This does not mean that they necessarily supported Trump. According to NPR, 44 Republicans said they voted for acquittal because they believe it is unconstitutional to impeach a president who has already left office. That is not even true; Republicans just wanted to support Trump while also not supporting Trump.

The weak moral compass of the Republican representatives in the Senate was clearly shown through the results of Trump’s acquittal. Despite overwhelming evidence provided against Trump, including video evidence of his speech in which he riled up supporters, only seven Republicans were swayed to vote against Trump. As a result of this, democracy has been damaged in the United States beyond repair as the precedent has been set that a sitting President of the United States is able to incite a riot at one of the most sacred buildings in the nation and walk away unpunished. 

Trump’s acquittal during the senate trial is a direct message to future presidents that such atrocious actions against our nation will be tolerated. This is no longer an issue between Democrats and Republicans but rather for America as a whole. There is no excuse for allowing Trump to remain unscathed after inciting a riot that caused the deaths of five citizens and risked the lives of multiple elected officials.