House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks to the media with House impeachment managers after the U.S. Senate voted to acquit former President Donald Trump on Feb. 13, 2021. (ALEX EDELMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
After the Senate acquitted Trump in his second impeachment trial, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said she was not interested in simply blaming former President Donald Trump.
She implied that blaming Trump would be like giving him “a symbolic, small disciplinary action.”
She added: “When people use stationery for the wrong purposes, we blame them. But you can’t just point fingers at people who incite rebellion and kill members of Congress.”
Pelosi made the remarks at a press conference following a surprise visit to the House Impeachment Managers Group after the Senate acquitted the former president.
She seemed angry at the outcome of the impeachment trial. During her remarks, she repeatedly slapped the table and criticized the senators who voted against convicting Trump as “a bunch of cowardly Republicans.”
The Senate voted 57-43 to acquit Trump of all charges. All of the Senate’s Democrats and seven Republicans voted to convict Trump.
Republicans who crossed party lines and joined the Democrats in supporting Trump’s conviction include: Senator Richard Burr, Republican of North Carolina; Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine; Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana; Senator Mitt Cassidy, Republican of Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah; Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska; Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska; and Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.
In a statement after his acquittal by the Senate, Trump said he would uphold the rule of law.
He said, “I have been and will always be an unwavering defender of the rule of law, of the heroes of law enforcement, and of the right of the American people to discuss the issues of the day in peace and dignity, without malice and without hatred.”
At the same Time, he said again that the Make America Great Again campaign “has just begun.”
The statement reads, “I have much to share with you in the months ahead, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to make America great for all of us.”
The Senate was able to move forward with the impeachment trial after the House impeachment manager surprisingly requested witnesses be called.
Chief House impeachment manager Representative Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, said earlier in the day that they wanted to call witnesses because House Republican leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, allegedly spoke with Trump on the phone on Jan. 6.
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, D-Washington, claimed in a statement that Trump was hesitant to respond to McCarthy’s request to stop the riot during the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol.
Trump allegedly believed that members of Antifa were the first to break into the Capitol.
After McCarthy dismissed the claim that the men were Antifa members, Trump reportedly told McCarthy, “Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.”
It was not possible to independently verify Beutler’s statement.
Trump and McCarthy’s offices did not respond to requests for comment.
The Senate initially voted 55-45 to pass the resolution to subpoena witnesses, but ultimately reached an agreement that avoided a potential extended trial.
Subsequently, the Senate, House impeachment managers and Trump’s former advisors all agreed to include Beutler’s statement as evidence in the record of Trump’s impeachment trial without having to call trial witnesses.
Following the agreement, the trial proceeded to closing arguments.
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