Following the events at the Capitol building Jan. 6, President Donald Trump faced a second impeachment trial. The trial took place Feb. 9, 2021, just a little over a year since his first impeachment trial took place in late January 2020. After being investigated for inciting foreign help to rig the 2020 election and incriminate Joe Biden, some Americans felt that Trump was on the same path this year for inciting insurrection on Capitol Hill.
Jan. 6 marked a historic day for the United States. The Capitol building was stormed by hundreds of Trump’s most loyal supporters. While most of the crowd took a stance outside of the building waving their flags, select members chose to charge the Capitol, smash windows and make their way into several offices, posing with documents and sitting at officials desks.
“The attempted coup was not the spontaneous work of a moment. The invasion of the U.S. Capitol … was stoked in plain sight, with Trump supporters having for weeks discussed openly their plans for a violent overthrow,” said reporters for American Oversight.
The coup took place after Trump spoke in Washington, DC earlier that day, and encouraged his followers to march down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol building via Twitter.
“I was in disbelief that the events were happening and not being stopped. But really I was horrified for what was going to happen next,” said Gracie White, senior.
Most Americans can agree that the events on Capitol Hill that day were terrifying and nerve racking, yet many Republican Senate officials stood by Trump as his second impeachment trial took place. The impeachment trial occurred Feb. 9, and resulted in him being acquitted for the insurrection. All of the Democratic officials present voted to convict Trump along with seven members of the Republic party, including North Carolina Senator Richard Burr. But in the end, the number needed to convict him fell short.
“It was made clear to reporters in January that (Mitch) McConnell thought this impeachment trial should go forward. He spoke out against the Trump-inspired insurrection on the Senate floor. But when it came to saying the proceedings against a former president were constitutional, McConnell voted no,” wrote Zachary Wolf, writer at CNN.
Mitch McConnell spoke out against Trump and the events at the Capitol on Twitter and Jan. 6, yet when it came to vote against the President, he voted to acquit.
“I feel that it was unlawful considering the facts were placed in front of McConnell and he decided to vote against the truth,” said White.
Even though Donald Trump was acquitted, according to Fox News, some senators are hinting at using the 14th amendment to ban Trump from running for President again in the future. While there is nothing left to do to impeach Trump, many Americans are feeling optimistic now that Joe Biden has taken the role of President of the United States.
“So, far I have liked what I have seen in regards to his actions against Covid and how quickly President Biden has gotten vaccines out to the people of America,” said Meredith Corgan, a mother of an Athens Drive student. “Seeing him rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement in his first few days as President was also awesome. I hope to see him continue doing what is best for the American people for the next four years.”
