On February 6, 2020, the U.S. Senate acquitted President Donald Trump, rejecting the impeachment passed by the House of Representatives. This event marked a constitutional crisis in America’s 250-year history of democracy. During his three years as president, Trump engaged in numerous misconducts, yet the House’s impeachment charges focused solely on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senate Republican leader, a 78-year-old senator with over 30 years of experience, colluded with Trump for personal political gain, binding themselves together, blocking key witnesses from testifying, and rushing the vote to acquit.

Senator Mitt Romney of Utah broke with the Republican leadership, voting for impeachment based on conscience and faith. His vote was the sole Republican supporting impeachment, symbolizing the conscience of the party and the defense of constitutional governance.

As early as February 2019, Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal lawyer for ten years, had a change of heart, breaking with Trump and testifying before Congress: “Trump is a liar, dishonest. He ran for president to promote his brand, to enrich himself, not to serve the United States. He often said the campaign was the best commercial, a marketing opportunity. He never truly expected to win the election and had no intention of leading America.” Cohen further testified: “Trump’s methods resemble a Mafia don, a gangster. He speaks in code. I understood his code because I worked with him for ten years.”

Trump, under the banner of “Making America Great Again,” deceived voters. Some Republican values were hijacked and manipulated by him. With a magician’s flair, he concealed his true intentions, charmed the Midwest, and posted enormous amounts on Twitter to gain trust. He narrowly won the presidency, surprising the entire world.

During his three years in office, Trump continued posting vast numbers of tweets daily to maintain support and pursue re-election. The Washington Post’s Fact Checker reported in January 2019 that Trump tweeted 7,645 false statements in just two years. Over three years, he sent over 10,000 tweets, sometimes up to 140 in a single day, many deliberately misleading his followers. Trump often used vulgar and obscene language, engaging in long, unprepared monologues that entertained his supporters like a TV show.

Trump exhibited a complete lack of morality, a moral vacuum, and no basic ethical principles. He was a pathological liar and the most magician-like deceiver ever to occupy the White House in 250 years. He combined political thuggery with crude, gangster-like behavior, shamelessly boasting about his ability to assault women. During the 2016 campaign, he illegally used campaign funds to pay two women to silence allegations of sexual misconduct.

As president, Trump frequently “fired” officials who maintained their conscience and refused to obey him, living up to his TV show catchphrase “You’re fired.”

American democracy was toyed with by this political magician, marking a profound humiliation in its 250-year history. Fortunately, America’s democratic foundations remain strong, and freedom of speech is protected. About 500 constitutional scholars and 750 historians publicly supported impeachment, while more than ten national newspapers, including The New York Times, endorsed it.

Protected by Senate allies like Mitch McConnell, Trump may have served another four-year term or even eight, but history will hold him accountable. Constitutional scholars, historians, journalists, and editors—representing America’s conscience and core values—will scrutinize and judge Trump and his enablers. Through this constitutional crisis, the U.S. will learn lessons, and many Trump supporters, who once treated his presidency like a TV show, will finally see his true character and wake up.