US President Donald Trump has been given a clean slate on the impeachment charges levied against him by the Democrats, in a clear margin of victory in the Senate.
The House of Representatives had impeached the President on the charges of abuse of his presidential authority and obstructing the Congress, in December. The Senate voted 52-48 and 53-47 respectively on the two charges, on Wednesday. The Republican leader Mitt Romney became the first Senator in the US history to vote against his party in the impeachment trial of a President.
President Trump will resume his official duties as the Republicans make the way for his re-election campaign. His acquittal of impeachment is sure to give him an advantage over the Democrats who have failed to project a strong face against Mr. Trump in the presidential election race.
The Trump administration had called the impeachment trial as “a nonsensical hoax” in their political history and the President had maintained a ‘not guilty’ stance. The Democrats have been vocal in criticising President Trump as a “threat to American democracy” and “normalising lawlessness”, after his acquittal.
At the political front, President Trump and the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi share bad blood between them with the Democrat being the advocate for the President’s impeachment. It was all the more evident in the “theatrics” that happened at the State of the Union address when President Trump snubbed the Speaker’s offered handshake and Pelosi, in turn, tore up his speech after he addressed the Congress.
Though some Republicans have raised their eyebrows against President Trump’s judgement on major decisions taken in the recent days, his acquittal was expected in the Senate where his party is in the majority.
