Patrick Simpson
U.S. President Donald Trump called the impeachment trial “a disgrace” in his first public appearance after being acquitted of wrongdoing by the United States Senate.
In a public address to the nation on Thursday, the U.S. president was quick to refer to the impeachment proceedings against him as being corrupt.
“We’ve been going through this now for over three years. It was evil, it was corrupt, it was dirty cops, it was leakers and liars. And this should never, ever happen to another president, ever,” said the U.S. President.
Trump’s latest diatribe comes on the heels of the historic vote by the Senate to acquit the U.S. president on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in its investigation of Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.
The Senate vote on Wednesday stuck mostly to party lines with 52 Republicans out numbering 47 Democrats to declare the U.S. president not guilty on both charges made by the House of Representatives. Only one Republican voted to impeach Trump, Utah senator and former presidential candidate, Mitt Romney.
Moments before the final vote hit the Senate floor, the Utah senator spoke on why he decided to vote to remove the president, referring to the president’s actions as “an appalling abuse of public trust”.
The latest address came just hours after Trump made his annual appearance at the National Prayer Breakfast. In an event about protecting religious minorities, the U.S. president instead mainly focused on the impeachment trial.
“Our great country and your president have been put through a terrible ordeal by some dishonest and corrupt people,” said Trump. “They have done everything possible to destroy us, and by so doing, very badly hurt our nation.”