House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Criticized Senate Republicans as cowards who refused to face former President Trump and find him guilty in the impeachment trial.
She said these Republicans were more concerned with their political survival than with protecting the constitution.
“What we saw in that Senate today was a cowardly group of Republicans who apparently have no options, because they are afraid to defend their work, respect the institution in which they operate,” said Pelosi of the majority of the Republican Party in the Senate who found Trump “innocent. “from inciting insurrection.
Pelosi joined the House’s impeachment managers on Saturday at a news conference after the Senate acquitted Trump again in his second impeachment trial. The vote was 57-43 in favor of the conviction, but there are still 10 more to go to the necessary super majority.
TRUMP ACQUIRED IN THE SECOND IMPEACHMENT JUDGMENT UNDER CHARGE FROM JAN. 6 CAPITOL RIOT
She praised the work of the nine impeachment administrators, but regretted hearing from her grandchildren that “justice has not been done”.
Pelosi was not scheduled to attend the press conference, but he was motivated to come after hearing the speech by Republican leader Mitch McConnell in the Senate. McConnell criticized Trump for his “shameful abandonment of duty”, but still considered Trump “innocent”, citing constitutional concerns about the trial that would occur when Trump stepped down.
Pelosi said McConnell made a “very hypocritical speech” because it was McConnell who actually delayed the start of the impeachment trial until after Trump stepped down, refusing to accept the impeachment article the House wanted to deliver earlier.
“You chose not to receive it,” said Pelosi.
“It was the excuse he used,” she added.
MCCONNELL RIPS TRUMP, SAYS ‘UNCONSCIOUS’ ACTIONS, BUT THE TEST WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Pelosi spoke out strongly against voting to censor Trump, a minor punishment that some bipartisan senators had suggested as an alternative to impeachment.
“Censorship is a slap in the face to the constitution,” said Pelosi. “It leaves everyone off the hook.
“Are all those cowardly senators who failed to face what the president did and what was at stake for our country now have a chance to pat their wrist?
“We blame people for using fixed papers for the wrong purposes,” continued Pelosi. “We don’t blame people for inciting the uprising that kills people on Capitol Hill.”