Biden on Trump's Impeachment Outcome: Substance of Charge “Not in Dispute”

Biden said tonight that he is thinking about those who were guarding the Capitol on January 6, those who lost their lives and that “they live with the terror that they lived that day.”

Photo: JIM WATSON / AFP / Getty Images

President Joe Biden issued a statement after the acquittal of the former president Donald Trump in Senate impeachment , stating that all Americans , especially the leaders of the nation, have the duty and responsibility to “defend the truth and defeat lies.”

The president Biden said that in doing so, “This is how we end this uncivil war and heal the very soul of our nation. That is the task before us. And it is a task that we must undertake together. ”

Biden noted in his statement that“ violence and extremism have no place in the United States. ”

Biden began by paying tribute to the police officer of the Capitol Brian Sicknick , who died after being wounded during the assault, while trying to protect the Capitol

The President, who is spending the weekend at Camp David, noted that 57 Senators, including 7 repu blicans, voted to convict Trump to incite the January 6 insurrection on Capitol Hill.

It took two-thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, for the conviction.

“Although the final vote did not lead to a ndena, the substance of the charge is not in dispute, ”said Biden. “Even those who oppose the conviction, like Senate Minority Leader McConnell, believe Donald Trump was guilty of ‘shameful neglect of duty’ and ‘practically and morally responsible for provoking’ the violence unleashed on Capitol Hill.” .

The president added that he is “thinking of those who bravely stood guard that day in January.”

“I’m thinking of all those who lost their lives, all those whose lives were threatened, and all those who still live with the terror that lived that day,” said Biden.

Recalling the insurrection on the US Capitol and Trump’s role in it, Biden said that “this sad chapter” in American history is a reminder that democracy is fragile and must always be defended. He also said that the nation “must always be alert.”