Former President Donald Trump put out a celebratory statement on his acquittal at the hands of the US Senate on Saturday, proclaiming that his “Make American Great Again” movement “has only just begun”.
Trump was cleared of inciting a deadly insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, with just seven Republican senators joining their Democrat counterparts in voting to convict the former president.
His statement, which was shared by Jim Acosta via Twitter, read, “Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun.”
“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!” the statement continued.
However, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell made it clear that the Trump isn’t out of the woods yet.
“He didn’t get away with anything yet. Yet. We have a criminal justice system in this country, we have civil litigation and former presidents are not immune from being [held] accountable by either one,” he said in a floor speech.
Trump’s acquittal prompted lawmakers to urge Congress to initiate a commission to uncover evidence and create a complete narrative of the riots by a pro-Trump mob on 6 January.
Delaware Senator Chris Coons said in an interview that “there’s still more evidence that the American people need and deserve to hear.”
Coons said that a “9/11 commission” would “make sure we secure the Capitol going forward and that we lay bare the record of just how responsible and how abjectly violating of his Constitutional oath Trump really was.”
Impeachment manager Stacey Plaskett argued that the impeachment trial “didn’t need more witnesses”, but rather “more senators with spines.”
“I think what we did was we got what we wanted,” she said.
“Which is her statement, which is what she said, and had it put into the record, and being able to say it on the record, out loud.”
Coons backed up Plaskett’s sentiment, and said, “What we all needed was more Republican courage.”