Former US President Donald Trump, accused of inciting the 6 January insurrection on Capital Hill, may have escaped from the jaws of impeachment for the second time, but statements from leaders across party lines suggest that Trump may face a slew of investigations in the coming days, reports news agency Associated Press.
Following President Trump’s high-paced acquittal, there appears to be a drumming up of support from players in both parties, who may now ask for an independent September 11-style commission into the insurrection.
Perhaps the strongest of signals in this direction came from Republican senator from Louisiana, Bill Cassidy, who was one among the seven to have voted in favour of Trump’s impeachment.
Demanding a “complete investigation” about what happened, the senator said that it was important to unearth “what was known, who knew it and when they knew".
“More folks will move to where I was.”Bill Cassidy, GOP Senator
‘9/11 Commission Needed’
Although hopeful of campaigning with President Trump in 2022 general election, Republican senator from South Carolina and a close ally of Trump, Lindsey Graham, said that Trump’s behaviour following the election was rather “over the top".
“We need a 9/11 commission to find out what happened and make sure it never happens again,” he said.
While a two-thirds majority was needed in the 100-member US Senate to convict Trump on charges of inciting violence at the US Capitol Hill on 6 February, only 57 senators voted in favour of holding Trump guilty, while 43 voted “not guilty”.
However, seven Republican senators joined the Democrats in voting for his conviction in the five-day long trial, reportedly making it the most bipartisan impeachment trial in the history of the country.
The Republicans who joined Senator Cassidy in voting against Trump included Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.
(With inputs from the Associated Press.)
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