‘2-0’: Trump family celebrates ex-president’s acquittal as GOP reckons with MAGA re-emergence

Republican leader condemns ‘disgraceful dereliction of duty’ but former president says his movement has ‘only just begun’

Donald Trump Jr celebrated his father’s acquittal following his impeachment for inciting an insurrection to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election by sharing a photograph of the former president’s face superimposed on Sylvester Stallone’s body from Rocky III with the words “back to back impeachment champ.”

“When the establishment hates you and wants to prevent you from ever running again you know you’re doing something right,” Donald Jr said on Twitter following his father’s second impeachment trial.

Eric Trump simply posted “2-0.”

“Acquitted forever,” said adviser Jason Miller.

Donald Trump – who has not ruled out running for office in 2024 – promptly declared victory and announced the re-emergence of his nationalist Make America Great Again movement in the wake of the bipartisan majority vote to convict him, falling short of a necessary two-thirds majority vote to find him guilty.

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

In a video, Donald Jr called the proceedings “another sham impeachment down the drain” and “based on bull****.”

He also suggested Republicans should “do the same thing” to Democrats.

In their final arguments, House impeachment managers warned that acquitting the former president would embolden him and his supporters to commit further violence or disrupt democratic processes, with a failure to hold accountable a destabilising force in American politics.

Moments after voting to acquit him, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell – the party’s leader in the upper chamber of Congress – issued a blistering assessment of the former president, and signalled that the GOP is prepared to move forward without him. Seven Republicans ultimately joined Democrats in voting to convict Mr Trump, representing the largest bipartisan impeachment vote in US history.

He pinned responsibility for the assault on then-president Trump’s “disgraceful dereliction of duty” and explicitly said that “there is no question – none – that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.”

“The people that stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president,” he said. “And having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy theories and reckless hyperbole.”

While his trial has concluded, Mr Trump may face potential legal consequences for his efforts to overturn election results in Georgia, and congressional committees are underway to investigate the attack, including potential witness testimony.

A federal inquiry into the insurrection and pending cases for dozens of his supporters are underway.