The stark difference between Trump’s victorious speech and Clinton’s sombre address after senate acquittal
Donald Trump has lashed out at the Democrats in a White House briefing in which he branded the opposition “liars” — in stark comparison to the comments former president Bill Clinton gave when he was acquitted by the Senate.
Trump, who was acquitted by the Senate on Wednesday, spoke in the East Room of the White House in an address that made it clear his longstanding views on his impeachment were unchanged.
“We went through hell, unfairly. I did nothing wrong," he said, explaining once again that he believed the phone call with Ukraine that sparked concerns leading to the impeachment inquiry was “perfect”.
“They took a phone call that was a totally appropriate call. I call it a perfect call, because it was. And they brought me to the final stages of impeachment. But now we have that gorgeous word, I never thought a word would sound so good. It's called total acquittal. Total acquittal,” Trump said.
Holding up a copy of The Washington Post featuring a headline proclaiming he had been “acquitted”, the president suggested to his wife Melania Trump “We can take that home, honey, maybe we’ll frame it”, and joked it was “the only good headline I've ever had in The Washington Post”.
Discussing the inquiry, Trump said: “It was evil, corrupt, it was dirty cops, there were leakers, liars. It should never have happened.”
The president’s celebratory attitude in the wake of Senate acquittal is glaring different from the behaviour of former president Bill Clinton, whose speech following his own acquittal by the Senate in 199 struck a sombre chord.
“I want to say again to the American people, 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,” Mr Clinton said in his press briefing at the White House following his acquittal by the Senate in 1999 following impeachment on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.
“I am also humbled and very grateful for the support and the prayers I have received from millions of Americans over this past year. Now I ask all Americans, and I hope all Americans, here in Washington and throughout our land, will re-dedicate ourselves to the work of serving our nation and building our future together.
“This can be, and this must be, a time of reconciliation and renewal for America,” he concluded.
“I believe any person who asks for forgiveness, has to be prepared to give it, Mr Clinton then added in response to a question about whether he could “forgive and forget”.
Mr Clinton’s brief address totalled less than two minutes, including his response to the reporter’s question.
In comparison, Mr Trump, whose ability to turn a brief press gaggle into a full-blown conference prompted laughter from fellow world leaders at NATO last year, spoke at the White House briefing for more than an hour.
During his speech, he not only addressed the impeachment inquiry — which he has maintained from its inception to be a “witch hunt” — but various ills he believes have been unnecessarily foisted upon him by the Democrats, including “sleazebag James Comey”, and the Russia probe.
In the more than hour-long speech, the president also touched on baseball metaphors, thanked a range of people, and recalled the 2016 email probe involving his old rival, the former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
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