[Applause]
danuel prayer breakfast in washington
and a chance perhaps for forgiveness for
donald trump just couldn't resist the
theatrics and in a sign of election
tactics to come the president used the
podium to portray himself as the victim
our great country and your president
have been put through a terrible ordeal
by some very dishonest and corrupt
people they have done everything
possible to destroy us and by so doing
very badly hurt our nation the Senate
will convene as a court of impeachment
nearly half the nation the latest polls
show believed that Donald Trump should
have been removed from office for his
dealings with Ukraine just as not guilty
but in what came as no surprise to
anyone
his Republican senators last night voted
overwhelmingly to acquit him with one
singular exception mr. Romney mr. Romney
guilty in so doing the openly devout
Republican Mitt Romney made history as
the first senator to vote to remove a
president from within his own party
there are people in my party and in my
state who will strength strenuously
disapprove of my decision and in some
quarters I will be vehemently denounced
I'm sure to hear abuse from the
president and his supporters does anyone
seriously believe that I would consent
to these consequences other than from an
inescapable conviction that my oath
before God demanded it of me now will
you join me in prayer but from a
president who invokes his love of God at
every turn came this response to Mitt
Romney's decision to vote with his
conscience I don't like people who use
their faith as justification for doing
what they know is wrong as he left the
chamber yesterday
president's lawyer said all that
mattered was Trump's acquittal what is
your reaction to Mitt Romney's vote look
I have no reaction to it the president
won the office of the president won the
Constitution ones for the Democrats
Romney was a lone hero and how brave was
Mitt Romney to do that this is the kind
of decision that takes backbone and grit
and that's what the people of America
want in politicians even the Democrat
senators in Trump friendly States who
thought about acquitting him said it was
their duty to put politics aside are you
worried about how it will play out with
voters I've taken two Oh since I've been
a senator one oath has been to defend
and protect the Constitution the second
note was an impartial judgment and I
took an oath to God to do that and I
think and consider this on the day that
he was acquitted by the Senate after his
impeachment President Clinton addressed
the nation contrite and with humility
how profoundly sorry I am for what I
said and did to trigger these events and
the great burden they have imposed on
the Congress and on the American people
now contrast that with this that we went
through hell unfairly did nothing wrong
did nothing wrong but this is what the
end result is well it's worth dwelling
on that Clinton moment when he was
acquitted he spoke for about a minute it
was full as you saw there of contrition
and healing yet Donald topped by
contrast Donald Trump has just wrapped
up and their hour long diatribe in which
he was supremely defiant and there
wasn't a single word of apology except
to his family for putting up with what
he called this phony rotten deal then
there was this agonizing painstaking
name checking he went around the room
thanking many of the congressmen and
Senators who'd stood up for him during
the impeachment ordeal you're so
incredible he told one I'll always be
your friend he told another the message
really there was very simple read my
lips you are either for me or you're
against me and one final point
to make for all the bravado it was clear
that this impeachment had got to him he
referred to it at one stage as a dirty
word and while he was clearly you saw
their giddy to be acquitted remember
that he will remain impeached that will
be his legacy and that as we all know is
something that Donald Trump would never
have wanted