Today, 43 Republican Senators voted to acquit former President Donald Trump for inciting an insurrection in the halls of our Capitol despite the abundance of damning evidence presented by the House impeachment managers. Notably, both Senator Rick Scott and Senator Marco Rubio were among the 43 Republican Senators who failed to protect our democracy and voted to acquit the former President.
In response, Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz released the following statement:
“Today, 43 Republican Senators including Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott declared open season on our democracy by voting to condone an insurrectionist attack on our government, an attack unquestionably incited by Donald Trump. In the face of clear, unblinking evidence of the attack on our Capitol that we all witnessed with our own eyes on January 6th, Rubio and Scott pledged loyalty to Trump above their duty to our country and the Constitutional oath they swore to uphold before God.
“Make no mistake, today’s vote to acquit by Rubio and Scott set an extraordinarily dangerous precedent that is an existential threat to our country. Today Rubio and Scott gave future Presidents the green light to attack our democratic institutions, subvert the will of the voters, knowingly lie to the American people, stir their passions to commit violent insurrection and ultimately face no consequence for these authoritarian actions. Senators Rubio and Scott are now complicit in this attack on our government and we the people of Florida will hold them accountable.
“Today I call on every Floridian, regardless of political affiliation, who is as outraged and disgusted by this vote as I am to join the Democratic Party. Help us to hold Senators Rubio and Scott accountable by working alongside us to vote them out of office, as they have proven themselves unworthy of our trust and are not fit to hold the sacred office they serve representing the residents of our great state.”