Sources close to President Donald Trump revealed to CNN that they do not expect him to apologize in a speech on Wednesday, following his “anticipated acquittal” in the Senate’s impeachment trial, leaving reporters for the network baffled and shocked.
“Trump not expected to apologize or admit any wrongdoing after anticipated acquittal,” a headline on the network’s website blared Sunday.
“[U]nlike the last President to be acquitted, don’t expect Trump to apologize or express any contrition for his conduct,” the outlet complained. “Instead, people close to the President say they anticipate he will claim vindication and continue to proclaim his complete and total innocence.”
CNN notes that that is a marked departure from other impeached presidents, including President Bill Clinton, who “apologized to the nation” after he was acquitted in his own Senate impeachment trial in the late 1990s. Clinton, at the time, said he was “profoundly sorry” for the events that led to his impeachment trial.
Clinton, however, was caught on tape committing perjury, a chargeable offense. Although the Senate ultimately decided to allow Clinton to remain in office, there was tangible evidence of Clinton’s crime.
For President Donald Trump, the picture is not so clear. Although Trump is accused of abusing his power as president, Democrats, in a hurry to complete an impeachment inquiry in the House, limited witness testimony, leaving gaping holes in their case. Blocked from having additional witnesses testify in the Senate, Democrats were forced to extrapolate on the evidence they had, never establishing a concrete quid-pro-quo between Trump and Ukrainian officials, the release of foreign aid for an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden.
After closing arguments from both the president’s lawyers and the House impeachment managers, the Senate will vote on whether to acquit Trump — a vote that is definitely expected to go Trump’s way. Republicans have a solid majority in the Senate and several Democrats, including West Virginia’s Sen. Joe Manchin, are expected to vote to acquit the president.
That vote is expected Wednesday. Afterwards, White House sources say, the president is likely to move on to other issues.
“I don’t see the President making a big statement one way or another that would indicate anything different than what he’s been saying for many months,” one Republican told CNN.
Democrats have one consolation: the White House had hoped the trial would end with an acquittal vote on Friday, leaving the president free to trumpet the results of his Senate impeachment trial during the State of the Union address on Tuesday night. But because the Senate adjourned early Friday, after voting not to allow further evidence and witness testimony, and setting the rules for Wednesday’s landmark vote, the president was forced to head to a weekend retreat at Mar-a-Lago still under the specter of impeachment.
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