The outcome most expected, and I personally dreaded, has materialized. Trump, only the 3rd President in the history of the US to be formally impeached, was charged with two crimes, abuse of power and obstruction of congress, was acquitted. On the latter, Trump was acquitted straight through party-lines, with 53 votes (Republicans) for acquittal and 47 for conviction. However, the former, the article on abuse of power, though Trump was still acquitted, one Republican broke party lines and voted to convict Trump, Mitt Romney. The vote on abuse of power ended as 52 to acquit vs 48 to convict.
I very much fear that what we had anticipated would happen in the near future, that the Republican party would turn into the party of Trump, may have actually happened and there is no turning back.
The Republicans seem to be happy enough to work and deal with Trump so long as they get they get what they want in return, namely; lifted environmental protections, more conservative judges, and a clown in the front-of-the-house getting all of the attention while they continue making their backdoor deals. Perhaps this is politics as normal. Perhaps is a deal they are making with the devil. Perhaps, like Rush’s mockery of smoking a few year back, the consequences will not make themselves evident immediately.
However, when they do, I certainly hope they will have their affairs in order.
