At the end of Trump’s second impeachment trial, the Republican Party chose him, political violence, delusional conspiracy theories, and armed racist militias over “law and order.”
Trump’s acquittal after his second impeachment trial now ties his brand of extreme politics — including the use of political violence and delusional conspiracy theories — inextricably to the future of the Republican Party. With Trump voted out of office, banned from Twitter and Facebook, and golfing in Florida, Republicans had their best opportunity to convict and block him from running for office again, a sign that the party would not tolerate a naked attempt to overturn an election. Instead, they chose to keep on his good side.
Trumpism won out over conservatism: The mob he sent to the Capitol — including people armed and racist — wanted to hang Vice President Mike Pence, a lifelong staunch conservative who refused Trump’s demand that he try to overturn Joe Biden’s victory. The mob sent members of Trump’s own party in Congress running for their lives. And the mob killed a police officer and injured 138 others, despite the conservative movement’s longtime alignment with a message of law and order. None of that mattered for most of the GOP. The party’s final act of Trump’s era in office was to officially condone his use of violence and threats against anyone who doesn’t do what he demands.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/paulmcleod/donald-trump-impeachment-trial-2021-acquitted