Georgia lawmakers react to vote to acquit Trump

ATLANTA — Several Georgia lawmakers responded to the Senate’s decision to acquit former President Donald Trump on charges of incitement of insurrection.

Both Georgia Senators, Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, voted to convict. The trial ended with a vote of 57-43, including seven Republican Senators returning a guilty verdict. A 2/3 majority was needed to convict Trump.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

TRENDING STORIES:

• Getting a $1,400 stimulus check got one step closer to your bank account
• Florida cousins tangle with 300-pound, 16-foot Burmese python on family property
• Police ID driver killed in massive fiery pileup on I-75 in Cobb County

Here are Georgia lawmakers’ reactions to the verdict:

Sen. Jon Ossoff

“Trump attempted to seize the Presidency despite electoral defeat. He intimidated election officials, provoked a violent assault on the Capitol, and left Congress and the Vice President to the mob.

His disgrace is total and his apologists in Congress are marked by history.”

Senator Reverend Warnock:

“If Donald Trump’s actions were not impeachable, then nothing is. My vote today reflects that deeply-held conviction.”

“We witnessed firsthand a vile attempt to disenfranchise millions of voters, and an egregious interruption of the peaceful transfer of power by the President of the United States. Accountability is critical to our nation moving forward and addressing the challenges so many families and communities face. And as a voice for the people of Georgia in the Senate, I take seriously my duty to defend our Constitution and uphold the values of our democracy.

“My colleagues who voted ‘not guilty’ had an opportunity and a moral obligation to choose principle over politics—and sadly, they chose politics in a trial where the human consequences could hardly be more tragic and the stakes could not be higher. The people—including those who bravely served and defended the Capitol—have been done a grave disservice. But somehow we must begin to turn the page, and continue the people’s work.”

Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux

“The result of former President Trump’s impeachment trial is disappointing, but not surprising,” said Congresswoman Bourdeaux. “We remain deeply divided as a country about appropriate behavior for a president. I remain firm in the belief that lying about the results of an election and trying to pressure officials into overturning the results of a free and fair election is not okay. Inciting a violent mob to attack the US Capitol to try to ‘stiffen the spine’ of the Vice President and Members of Congress to overturn the results of a free and fair election is not okay. Justice was not served today. But I will never give up on our democracy. We will continue to resist the former president and his conspiracy theorist supporters at the ballot box, and there will be on-going legal action at the state and federal level. I look forward to seeing where that takes us.”

Rep. Buddy Carter

“Democrats never accepted the fact that Donald J. Trump was President of the United States and pushed their divisive impeachment narrative since he was elected. Moving forward with an impeachment that they knew would not end in conviction after President Trump left office proves that their top priority is and always has been going after him. They have now put our country through two partisan impeachment trials with the same result. I implore my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to finally move on from this obsession. The American people are struggling as we continue to face a global pandemic and Congress certainly has more important things to focus on than the impeachment of a former President.”

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]