The Democrats’ latest impeachment effort against Donald Trump has failed. The former president was acquitted Saturday by the U.S. Senate on the charge that he incited the January 6 Capitol Riot and “insurrection.”

The vote was 57-43 for conviction, falling ten votes short of the two-thirds needed for conviction. Seven Republicans joined the Democrats. The Democrats’ impeachment obsession, which started before Trump was sworn in and continues after he’s left office, again comes up empty.

But now that the bar for impeachment has been lowered lower than a snail’s belly, who knows? Maybe they’ll have better luck next year.

We Want Witnesses! Uh, Never Mind

The trial was thrown into disarray Saturday morning when House Democrats, after having had their case destroyed Friday, suddenly decided they wanted to call witnesses. In fact, the Senate actually voted to hear witnesses.

Well, until Trump’s lawyers declared they’d be calling Speaker Nancy Pelosi and DC’s Democratic Mayor Murial Bowser. They had to explain why they ignored warnings some people planned to attack the capitol, and why they rejected calls from President Trump and the Capitol Hill Police Chief to have National Guard troops on hand to keep the Capitol safe.

Suddenly, the Senate reversed itself. You can’t go off script in a show trial.

Instead a deal was reached to put into the record a hearsay statement from Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler. She says House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told her about a conversation he’d had with Trump during the riot, where Trump appeared to speak flippantly about what was going on.

In her version, Trump told McCarthy that Antifa was behind the violence. When McCarthy said it was Trump supporters, Trump reportedly replied with the very Trumpian, “Well, Kevin, I guess those people are more upset about the election than you are.”

Trump, of course, did strongly condemn the violence and tell the protesters to go home. After, of course, having told his supporters in his speech to “peacefully and patriotically” let their voices be heard.

But in Soviet-style show trials, evidence is ignored and being a smart-aleck is a high crime.

So It’s Over? Yeah, Right.

Like Inspector Javert in Les Miserables … or more accurately Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, there’s little evidence Democrats will stop in their obsession to destroy private citizen Trump. They are pushing for criminal charges to be filed against him over the Capitol Riot.

As The Stream‘s John Zmirak wrote, they’re also considering what amounts to a bill of attainder: “Pass a law by simple majority vote declaring that Trump has violated the clauses in the 14^th Amendment forbidding former ‘rebels’ and ‘insurrectionists’ from holding public office.”

A bill of attainder happen when a legislature acts as if it were a court and convicts someone without trial. The U.S. Constitution expressly forbids  it. Those in power can’t simply go around declaring people guilty without trial. 

But when you’ve already trashed due process, the First Amendment – to say nothing of the established rules and traditions of Congress – what’s a little more Constitution-shredding when it comes to your Trump bloodlust?

Then again, maybe it’s not obsession and madness. Kick up enough dust over Trump and maybe Americans won’t notice how Biden’s sending American jobs up in smoke.

Trump Signals He’s Not Through Yet

The Democrats and Never Trumper Republicans are desperate to keep Trump at bay (even if it means trashing his 75 million voters in the process). The good news for those 75 million and the countless others already fed up with the Biden regime? Trump is showing little sign he’s going to chill at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump released a long statement after his acquittal. It reads, in part:

It is a sad commentary on our times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree. I always have, and always will, be a champion for the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honorably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate.

Then Trump made it clear he won’t go quiet and will instead rage against the dying of the light. 

Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun. In the months ahead I have much to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people. There has never been anything like it!

Trump Trouble

Knowing Trump is filling the tank to continue the “journey” rather than putter around in a golf cart, is why the hunt for Orange Man Bad will not cease.

Donald Trump has the means, motive, millions of patriotic supporters … and many, many options. All of which spell trouble for those who threaten our liberty and prosperity. 

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author, with John Zmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl on Twitter and Parler, if his Twitter account is restored and Parler is allowed to again exist. You can also follow him @StreamingAl on Gab and MeWe.