Trump's impeachment acquittal a pyrrhic victory

Former President Donald Trump’s impeachment acquittal in the U.S. Senate despite a bipartisan 57 to 43 vote to convict will prove to be a pyrrhic victory for him.

The images of the Jan. 6 insurrection that he incited are forever seared in the hearts of Americans. They cannot be erased. The fence-sitters among the voting public now recognize the danger posed by this wannabe autocrat. No longer can he claim to be the purveyor of democracy. No longer can he preach of law and order. No longer can he keep hidden the seditious actions of his militia-led base.

Banned from popular social media, he can no longer tweet his lies 24/7. To many Americans, he has become a sputtering, voiceless clown.

The widening split he has created in his own party threatens the continued existence of the GOP as we know it. Unfortunately, tens of millions of his followers still back him. They refuse to accept proven facts and blindly believe his lies. With what surely will be a criminal indictment for tax evasion looming and the everincreasing number of COVID -19 deaths made worse by his incompetent handling of the virus, his popularity numbers will start to sink.

To erode his support, we must repeat the truth again and again. We must be vocal advocates and defenders of the Constitution. We must call out the seditious lies he promulgates. We must work to defeat Trump candidates. We must advocate and support government action when our freedoms are threatened.

Charles Rielly

Altamont