What follows now for Donald Trump after his acquittal of his second impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate is a big question mark. The only thing clear, for the support that the Republicans offered him again to save him again, is that his status as party leader remains firm though no longer so promising.
Initially for acquittal by 57 votes to 43 (67 were needed to convict) prevented Democrats from forcing a measure to decree the inability to run for public office.
(Read: Donald Trump celebrates his acquittal).
In other words, Trump can again aspire to run in the 2024 elections. And even more immediately, will have a role to play in the 2022 legislative elections where he will push candidates who have been loyal to him and try to punish those who were not. In particular against the 10 representatives who authorized his opinion and the 7 senators who voted to punish him.
In his first statements after the trial Trump suggested that he intends to remain in force. “In the coming months he will have much more to share with you. “ and remains committed to moving forward with this incredible joint process to “reach American greatness for all,” the former president said.
(We recommend: This is how Trump was saved in his second trial).
There is still talk that he plans to set up a TV channel and he certainly has other business projects in mind to try to restore the financial blow his business suffered in those four years of the White House.
But the picture does not look so clear either.
On the one hand, it is clear that Trump has caused a deep rift within the Republican Party and many more, Now that he is no longer in power, they have begun to distance themselves and are betting on a gradual divorce from the former president.
And some of that was already starting to show.
(I might be interested: Trump was about to use a respirator when he had covid-19).
This weekend, for example, Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the UN during the Trump years and now with presidential aspirations, said that Trump had done a lot of harm to the country and that the time had come to turn the page. “We made a mistake in following it and this should never happen again”, Said Haley.
Trump can again aspire to run for the 2024 election
Several, in fact, believe that the former president is toxic to the party and that his post-election behavior, when he tried to steal four more years in the White House on the verge of false accusations that shook the system democratic, they just sank it.
Especially for his role in the violent capture of the Capitol on January 6, when a mob of his supporters tried to forcefully block Joe Biden’s victory certification. And they also believe that a new Trump candidacy would be disastrous for the party because while it remains popular among the Republican base, it would provoke a huge wave of rejection in the rest of the country.
“Despite being acquitted, the dismissal trial and his behavior in recent months have been deadly for Trump and his influence within the party has already begun to fade. Everyone is ready to leave these years in the past. And that process is going to speed up now that Trump no longer has the power and not even a Twitter account to communicate“, Says Republican analyst Bryan Lance.
(See: Most detainees after assault on the Capitol have money clutter).
But not everyone sees it that way. The most loyal think that his acquittal is a battle cry for a base that has proven to be very loyal. Something, he argues, that he could also transfer to his sons Ivanka and Donald Jr., both with political ambitions.
“Trumpism is still more alive than ever,” says Jason Miller, one of his top advisers.
On the other hand, Trump’s future has another edge that could complicate his electoral aspirations. Already without the protections granted by the presidency, the Republican leader will face an avalanche of lawsuits that could put him against the wall. And there are some very serious ones.
In Washington, prosecutors are preparing a case against him to incite protesters who stormed Congress, and in Georgia another criminal investigation is underway to interfere in the state’s judicial process. In New York he has several lawsuits pending for tax evasion and other financial maneuvers while the IRS is moving forward with an audit that could cost it hundreds of millions of dollars.
(Read: Joe Biden puts an end to national emergency on the border with Mexico).
Some of this was suggested by Mitch McConnel himself, a Republican leader in the Senate. While McConnel voted against a punishment he made clear his deep displeasure at the former president’s behavior and said Trump, already in his private life, would have to pay for his actions.
“The former president is still responsible for everything he did while in the White House. He has not escaped yet. We have a criminal justice system in this country, and we have lawsuits and former presidents are not immune to those systems., ”McConnel said.
Interestingly, this is one of the reasons Trump wants to retain power at any cost. To the extent that it preserves its influence within the party it will be more difficult for them to advance these processes without the risk of a new social outbreak.
In any case, it is clear that the controversial former president will not fade overnight. At least not without giving the fight.
SERGIO GÓMEZ MASERI
EL TEMPS correspondent
Washington