Former President Donald Trump was acquitted Saturday in a 57-43 vote by the U.S. Senate on a charge of incitement of insurrection related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Democrats needed 17 Republicans to join them to convict Trump and hold a separate vote to bar him from running for office again.

...Reaction from New England lawmakers was both swift and damning for the Republican senators who did not vote to convict the former president. And many stated that, despite the acquittal, they believe Trump is guilty.

...Rep. Katherine Clark, who represents the 5th congressional district of Massachusetts, called Trump a traitor who used white supremacy and violence to threaten democracy in America.

"This is his legacy," she wrote. "Every Senator who voted to acquit is cloaked in the same dark shadow."

...Minutes after voting "not guilty" in Donald Trump's impeachment trial, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said the former president is clearly to blame for the deadly Capitol riot, which did not sit well with lawmakers like Rep. Peter Welch, of Vermont.

"Sen. McConnell admits Trump is responsible, yet he votes to acquit. That sums it up for him and the other 42 Republicans who were presented with overwhelming evidence that Trump incited the violence on Jan. 6 but gave him a pass. The majority of the senate voted to convict Trump."

Rep. Clark seemed to respond to McConnell's statement in a tweet, writing, "Retroactive speeches and technical excuses do not hide your inaction in the face of injustice."

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Original story here.