House Speaker Nancy Pelosi couldn’t help but editorialize a little during her first press conference of Joe Biden‘s presidency. While discussing his impending Senate impeachment trial, Pelosi celebrated the end of Donald Trump‘s administration. “He’s gone. Thank God,” she said, clutching her hands in prayer.
Pelosi on Trump being out of office: "Thank God" pic.twitter.com/3hxsJg3MfQ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 21, 2021
Pelosi called the press conference to discuss sending the House’s Article of Impeachment against Trump (incitement of insurrection) to the Senate to begin their trial. Trump, who left office on January 20, would become the first United States president to be convicted in a Senate impeachment trial. This was Trump’s second House impeachment, as well. Even more shocking when considering that there have only been four impeachments in the 245 years of US history. Trump managed to be impeached twice in the span of four years.
“The fact is POTUS committed an act of incitement of insurrection. I don’t think it’s very unifying to say, ‘let’s just forget it and move on,'” Pelosi said to reporters regarding Republicans claiming convicting Trump would damage President Biden’s calls for “unity” at his inauguration. That’s not how you unify… You don’t say to a president ‘Do whatever you want in the last months of your administration, you’re going to get a get-out-of-jail card free.'”
As for when the Senate impeachment trial will begin? That’s still up in the air. The House of Representatives declined to immediately send the articles to Senate after voting for impeachment on January 13. Pelosi said in her presser that the House was waiting until the Senate confirmed that they were “ready” to proceed. The trial will begin the next day. “We are ready,” Pelosi said. Trump is not. The former president currently has no legal counsel to represent him after Rudy Giuliani declined to participate.
