Article By Ebony Williams // Politics // EEW Magazine Online

Donald Trump has been acquitted of the charge of inciting a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, and those who believe in his guilt are upset over his acquittal.

An outraged Rev. Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., reacted to the verdict by calling it a “shameful day in U.S. history” in a Feb. 13 tweet.

But whilst decrying the shamefulness of the acquittal, the 57-year-old activist and advocate of nonviolent resistance made it known that she yet remains optimistic that change is possible.

“Still, we can change the trajectory of this nation,” wrote the CEO of The King Center in her social media post, adding, “Honesty matters. Justice matters. Deconstruction matters. More humane ways matter. Voting matters.”

Speaking of voting, only seven of 50 Senate Republicans voted to convict Trump in his historic second impeachment trial on Saturday. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who supported Trump’s acquittal, said the former president was “practically and morally responsible for provoking the events” that led to the insurrection.

However, he argued that there were no constitutional grounds for the Senate to convict Trump now that he’s out of office, a procedural point embraced by many in the GOP.

Now that it’s all over, the history books will show that 10 members of the president’s party in the House and another seven in the Senate ultimately believed that Trump’s behavior was egregious enough to warrant conviction — and even a lifetime ban on holding future office. Never before have so many members of a president’s party voted for his removal. But by most objective measures, Trump’s grasp on the GOP and its future remains airtight.

Gallup reported last month that Trump’s approval among self-described Republicans stood at 82%. And more recently, Monmouth University found that 72% of Republicans continue to believe, as former President Trump does, that President Joe Biden won the November election only because of widespread voter fraud.

When it’s all said and done, whether outraged or overjoyed over Trump’s acquittal, one thing is certain: the polarizing political figure has no plans to go away quietly.

Immediately following his acquittal, Trump issued a written statement promising to reemerge “soon.”

“Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun,” Trump said. “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.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.