BOSTON (WHDH) - Several New England lawmakers are weighing in after the Senate voted not to impeach former President Donald Trump for the Capitol riots on Saturday.
Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey did not mince words about his decision to convict Trump of incitement of an insurrection.
“There is no limit to his unconstitutional anti-American actions. And that is my greatest fear, that he is just taking this as a permission slip to engage in acts which would have been unthinkable before he became president,” Markey said.
He also had a few words for his colleagues across the aisle who voted against impeachment.
“The Republicans just did not stand up to make sure that for all time that it was recorded that Donald Trump had committed a crime against our country,” Markey said.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, Markey’s colleague in the Capitol, wrote the following on Twitter:
“Donald Trump incited a mob of domestic terrorists to attack our Capitol and overturn the election. Even 7 Senate Republicans couldn’t stomach his act of insurrection. Our democracy must be stronger than the former president and the 43 senators who sided with him today.”
Donald Trump incited a mob of domestic terrorists to attack our Capitol and overturn the election. Even 7 Senate Republicans couldn’t stomach his act of insurrection. Our democracy must be stronger than the former president and the 43 senators who sided with him today.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 13, 2021
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley took to Twitter to criticize those Senators who chose to vote against impeachment as well.
“This impeachment trial was a referendum on white supremacist violence. 43 Republican senators confirmed they condone it. They enable it. They must be expelled.”
This impeachment trial was a referendum on white supremacist violence.
43 Republican senators confirmed they condone it. They enable it. They must be expelled.
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) February 13, 2021
Despite Saturday’s vote being the most bipartisan in impeachment history, it fell sort of the two-thirds needed to convict.
Some are questioning whether impeachment is an effective way to hold a president accountable, including Boston University Constitutional Law Expert Robert Tsai.
“We’ve never been able to use impeachment as an effective remedy against any president and the two attempts against this president for fairly egregious things,” Tsai said. “I think the impeachment device is broken as it relates to presidents.”
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