What’s next for Donald Trump after his acquittal of his second impeachment trial in the US Senate is a big question mark. The only clear thing, from the support the Republicans once again offered him to save him again, is that his status as leader of the party remains solid, although not as promising.
First of all, because the acquittal by 57 votes to 43 (67 were needed to convict him) prevented the Democrats from enforcing a measure to decree the inability to run for public office.
(Read: Donald Trump Celebrates His Acquittal).
In other words, Trump can run for election again in 2024. And even more immediately, will play a role in the 2022 parliamentary elections, where he will push candidates who have remained loyal to him and will try to punish those who were notIn particular, against the 10 representatives who authorized his trial and the 7 senators who voted to punish him.
In his initial post-trial statements, Trump suggested he intends to stay in effect.In the coming months he will have a lot more to share with you “ and remains committed to continuing this incredible concerted process to “achieve American greatness for all,” the former president said.
(We recommend: This is how Trump was saved on his second trial.)
It is still rumored that he plans to set up a television channel and he no doubt has other business projects in mind to try and repair the financial blow that his companies have suffered in these four years of the White House.
But the picture doesn’t look that clear either.
On the one hand, Clearly, Trump has caused a deep rift within the Republican Party and manyNow that he is no longer in power, they are starting to distance themselves and bet on a gradual separation from the former president.
And some of it has already become visible.
(You might be interested: Trump almost used a gas mask when he had covid-19).
For example, Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the UN during the Trump years and now with presidential ambitions, said this weekend that Trump had done a lot of damage to the country and that it was time to turn the page. “We made a mistake following him and that should never happen again”Haley said.
Trump may again aspire to run for the 2024 elections
Several even believe that the former president is poisonous to the party and that his post-election behavior, when he tried to steal four more years in the White House, ended on false accusations that shook the democratic system. sink him.
Mainly because of his role in the violent takeover of the Capitol on January 6, when a crowd of his supporters attempted to forcibly block Joe Biden’s certification of victory. And they also believe that another Trump candidacy would be disastrous for the party, because while it remains popular among the Republican base, it would spark a huge wave of rejection in the rest of the country.
Despite his acquittal, the impeachment trial and his conduct over the past few months have been deadly for Trump and his influence within the party is already fading. Everyone is ready to put these years in the past. And that process is going to speed up now that Trump no longer has power and not even a Twitter account to communicatesaid Republican analyst Bryan Lanza.
(See: Most of Those Arrested After the Capitol Robbery Have Money Trouble).
But not everyone sees it that way. The most loyal people think his acquittal is a rallying cry for a base that has proven to be very loyal. Something, he argues, could also convey his sons Ivanka and Donald Jr., both with political ambitions.
“Trumpism is more alive than ever,” said Jason Miller, one of his top advisers.
On the other hand, Trump’s future has another advantage that could complicate his electoral aspirations. Without the protections of the presidency, the Republican leader will face an avalanche of lawsuits that could put him up against the wall. And there are some very serious ones.
In Washington, prosecutors are preparing a case against him for inciting the protesters who stormed Congress, and in Georgia another criminal investigation is underway for interfering with legal process in this state. In New York, he has several pending lawsuits for tax evasion and other financial maneuvers while the IRS goes ahead with an audit that could cost you hundreds of millions of dollars.
(Read: Joe Biden ends national border emergency with Mexico).
Some of this was suggested by Mitch McConnel himself, the leader of the Republicans in the Senate. Although McConnel voted against a punishment, he made clear his deep discomfort with the former president’s behavior, saying that Trump, even in his private life, should pay for his actions.
The former president is still responsible for everything he did in the White House. He hasn’t escaped yet. We have a criminal justice system in this country, and we have legal proceedings, and former presidents are not immune to these systems.McConnel said.
Interestingly enough, that’s one of the reasons Trump wants to retain power at all costs. To the extent that it retains its influence within the party, it will be more difficult for these processes to proceed without the risk of another social outbreak.
In any case, it is clear that the controversial former president will not disappear overnight.At least not without a fight.
SERGIO GÓMEZ MASERI
EL TIEMPO correspondent
Washington