Republican senators’ acquittal of Donald Trump was the culmination of an orchestrated process to ensure a quick ending to his impeachment “trial.” Sen. McConnell stated from the start that he would work with Trump and his staff to arrive at the president’s desired result. The almost completely partisan vote that ended the “trial” blocked a potential gusher of necessary facts that should have been examined through witnesses such as John Bolton and others with knowledge of the president’s scheme to extort campaign help from the Ukrainian president by withholding much-needed military aid.

Some Republican senators acknowledged that Trump did what he was accused of doing, but they did not have the courage or integrity to vote for conviction:  Sen. Murkowski stated that Trump’s actions were “shameful and wrong, and his personal interests do not take precedence over those of this great nation.” 

Sen. Rubio stated that Trump’s actions met the standard for impeachment.  Sen. Alexander stated that prosecutors proved that Trump had conditioned the release of allocated defense funds to Ukraine on the Ukrainian president’s compliance with Trump’s request for investigations of a political opponent.

Sen. Collins said that she “hopes that Trump has listened to the many voices in the Senate who have pointed out that the call [with the Ukrainian president] was very problematic.”

As the impeached president now berates his accusers and embarks on a path of revenge against those who had the courage and integrity to tell the truth about his actions, the words of the lone GOP senator to vote against acquittal will remain as an indelible stain on his legacy.

Mitt Romney, former presidential standard bearer of the Republican Party, and the only one demonstrating the patriotism to act on the facts, characterized Trump’s behavior as “a flagrant assault on our electoral rights, our national security and our fundamental values.

The president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust.”

Don Holmes

Buchanan