Free speech is a great asset. For private individuals, for journalists and of course also for politicians. In a free society it must be possible to offend with one’s opinion, to argue against the rulership opinion without running the risk of being punished for it. It is also true that many parliamentary seats would be empty if every politician were removed from office as soon as he is convicted of a lie.
But contrary to what Donald Trump’s defenders argued, this trial was not about protecting free speech, but nothing less than defending the future of American democracy.
For years, President Trump has destroyed the credibility of America’s political institutions with impunity and undermined trust in free elections and thus the core of every democracy. Out of sheer will to power, he continued to spread the lie when more than 60 judges, including many whom he himself appointed, clearly confirmed that he had lost the presidential election to Joe Biden by over seven million votes.
Ines Pohl, DW correspondent in Washington
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Storming the Capitol was extremely dangerous
His populist smear campaigns reached their sad climax on January 6th, 2021, when he called on his supporters to do the final verification of the Disrupt presidential elections and storm the Senate building. Even if it was clear from the start that it would be difficult to really condemn Donald Trump, the Democrats couldn’t help but usher in the impeachement process. Last but not least, the video evidence that they presented to the Senate over the past few days has shown how dangerous this storm on the Capitol actually was. That in the end it was only the courage of individual police officers that prevented leading politicians, including then Vice President Mike Pence, from literally falling victim to the mob. Five people lost their lives on this day. And there could have been a lot more. And the formerSome President of the United States would have been responsible for exactly that.
It is a shame that Trump will not be held accountable
It is a shame that he is not held responsible for this. The fact that while these images got some Republican voters to ponder, but not the overwhelming majority of senators, is all cause for concern.
The outcome of these proceedings shows how much Donald Trump continues to hold the Republican Party under control. How big the concern of the MPs is that they would be punished by Trump supporters if they had put the law above their own power.
What could have become a liberation blow ends in cementing the division of this country. For the international community this is a clear indication of how preoccupied the US will be with itself in the years to come.
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