Arizona officials are reacting to the Senate's decision to acquit former President Donald Trump following the conclusion of an impeachment trial that spanned five days.
Trump was impeached by the House on Jan. 13 on a single article for "incitement of insurrection" following the violent siege at the U.S. Capitol that left one police officer and four others dead and left members of Congress and their staffs fearing for their lives.
The insurrection, which took place on Jan. 6, was preceded by a Trump rally when he told his followers to head to the Capitol and repeatedly said they should fight for him.
Senator Kyrsten Sinema released the following statement:
"Our greatest loyalty as Americans is to our Constitution and the freedoms and protections she provides us; elected officials swear a solemn oath to uphold and defend our Constitution. Former President Donald Trump betrayed his oath willfully, as no president has before. He incited a violent insurrection against his own government because he did not like the outcome of a free and fair election. What is at stake today is the future of our democracy and whether we will be a country that fiercely protects democracy, or let it slip away to claims of party loyalty. May we all be loyal to our Constitution, rather than a political party or a person - because we must rebuild Americans' faith in our democracy and our trust in each other. America must remain the shining light and model for democracy and peaceful transitions of power, where the people’s voice is the law of the land. It’s up to all of us to stand together united in our resolve to build a more perfect union."
— Kyrsten Sinema (@SenatorSinema) February 13, 2021
Senator Mark Kelly released the following statement:
“The evidence demonstrated that former President Donald Trump incited the violence at the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, with the intention of overturning the decision of the voters of Arizona and other states, and then did nothing to stop it because he hoped it would be successful. That makes him guilty of the charge laid out in the article of impeachment, and it also makes him guilty of violating his oath of office. As a Navy veteran and Senator, I’ve taken an oath to uphold the constitution. It was our duty to conduct this trial and make it clear that an attack on our democracy cannot stand. Now, it is our duty to continue the work of addressing the significant challenges we face by beating this virus and rebuilding our economy.”
Statement on my vote to convict former President Trump for violating his oath of office.https://t.co/QWAMdv2ukU pic.twitter.com/3QdPoE4ZKA
— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) February 13, 2021
Former Maricopa County Sherriff, Joe Arpaio tweeted to congratulate the former president:
Congratulations to President Trump for a well deserved acquittal. He is a winner and will continue to defend our great country. pic.twitter.com/qJxgdZYnPr
— Sheriff Joe Arpaio (@RealSheriffJoe) February 13, 2021
