Van Hollen Statement on Vote to Convict Trump

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement on his vote to convict Donald Trump:

“The evidence is clear. Donald Trump committed high crimes and misdemeanors against our nation in his incitement of the insurrection on our Capitol on January 6th. He violated his duty and oath of office to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution – and in fact, his actions flew directly in the face of this most sacred responsibility. The overwhelming documentation provided by the House managers underscored this truth. That is why I voted to convict Donald Trump today.

“To my Republican colleagues who voted to acquit, I ask if Trump’s conduct was not a crime against the Constitution, what is? Make no mistake – they have inflicted lasting harm on our nation in their failure to hold Donald Trump accountable; they have failed the test of history, and that is likely to haunt us in the years ahead. 

“But I am encouraged that this vote did not fall strictly on party lines. In fact, it was the largest bipartisan vote to convict a president in American history. And I feel certain that the American people know the truth of Donald Trump’s guilt. This trial brought to light his crimes against our Constitution, and these crimes will not be erased.

“Together, we must urgently work to undo the damage of the Trump era and move forward as a country.”