Murphy Statement on His Vote to Convict Former President Trump in The Senate Impeachment Trial

Statement

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Saturday released the following statement after he voted to convict former President Trump for "incitement of insurrection":

"In the days following the election of Joe Biden, I went to the Senate floor to speak out against the epidemic of delusion that was spreading across the Republican Party. President Trump and his loyalists were spewing bald-faced lies to the American people--claiming without evidence that the election was stolen and rigged. I warned of the danger to our democracy. I worried about the possibility of violence. I hate that I was right," said Murphy. "The insurrection at our Capitol was not inevitable. Rather, it was a direct consequence of President Trump's urging supporters -- over the course of many months and on the very day of the riot -- to overturn the results of a free and fair election. And what did President Trump do when the insurrection was underway? He privately reveled in the coverage. He continued to press Republicans to stop the certification of the Electoral College. What did he not do? Take any meaningful steps to diffuse the violence he whipped up."

Murphy continued: "No one wanted to hold another impeachment trial. No one wanted to relive the painful and traumatic events of January 6th. But we had to do so. Without accountability, we simply do not have a democracy. The president of the United States cannot get away with inciting a violent insurrection. And today, I did my duty to hold former President Trump accountable for his gross betrayal of his oath."

In December, Murphy took to the Senate floor to blast Republicans' continued efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and warn of the dangerous consequences for our democracy.

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