Trump's acquittal appears to end speculation about whether he will be face of the GOP
WASHINGTON (SBG) — Former President Donald Trump's acquittal Saturday appears to bring an end to speculation from Republicans and Democrats over whether the former president will maintain his position as a kingmaker in the party.
Only seven of the Senate's 50 Republicans voted to find Trump guilty of inciting last month's Capitol Hill riot, giving bipartisan support to holding the former president responsible for the melee. The Senate fell 10 votes shy of the threshold required to convict the former president.
Many Republican senators say they are ready to move on from the former real estate tycoon turned president but other caucus leaders argue he will continue to be a force inside the party for years to come.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Fox News Sunday that he is meeting with Trump to discuss the future of the party, predicting that Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump was "the biggest winner of this whole impeachment trial."
He also gave a pointed shot at fellow Republican Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., who voted guilty and says he will not seek reelection in 2022. The North Carolina Republican Party is weighing whether to censure him for voting to convict.
"My dear friend Richard Burr, who I like and have been friends to a long time, just made Lara Trump almost the certain nominee for the Senate seat in North Carolina to replace him if she runs, and I certainly will be behind her because she represents the future of the Republican Party,” Graham told Fox News.
Lara Trump is the favorite among potential Republican primary candidates to fill Burr's vacant seat, according to a University of North Carolina poll conducted last year. She is married to the former president's son, Eric. She was also a major surrogate for Donald Trump's 2016 and 2020 campaigns.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., also argued that Trump is likely not going anywhere soon. The former president "remains the most popular Republican in the country," he told reporters Sunday. Burr is not the only Republican facing retaliation over his vote.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., was quickly censured for his vote to convict. Other Republican lawmakers are facing scorn, too.
Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., faced a censure effort by Nebraska’s Republican Party last month, and Maine's Republican Party is discussing similar actions against Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who also voted for conviction.
Multiple House Republicans also faced similar reprisals. On Feb. 6, the Wyoming Republican Party passed a resolution to censure Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., for voting with ten of her fellow House Republicans to convict.
