Mitch McConnell

=====Second impeachment=====
{{Main|Second impeachment of Donald Trump}}

On January 12, 2021, it was reported that McConnell supported impeaching Trump for his role in inciting the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, believing it would make it easier for Republicans to purge the party of Trump and rebuild the party.<ref>{{cite news |title=McConnell is said to be pleased about impeachment, believing it will be easier to purge Trump from the G.O.P. |work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 12, 2021 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/12/us/mitch-mcconnell-trump-impeachment.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112214332/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/12/us/mitch-mcconnell-trump-impeachment.html |archive-date=January 12, 2021|last1=Martin |first1=Jonathan |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie }}</ref> On January 13, despite having the authority to call for an emergency meeting of the Senate to hold the Senate trial,{{failed verification|date=April 2021}} McConnell did not reconvene the chamber, claiming unanimous consent was required.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bolton |first1=Alexander |date=January 13, 2021 |title=McConnell won't agree to reconvene Senate early for impeachment trial |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/534053-mcconnell-wont-agree-to-reconvene-senate-early-for-impeachment-trial/ |access-date=February 14, 2021 |website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |publisher=Capitol Hill Publishing Corp. |archive-date=January 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113193717/https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/534053-mcconnell-wont-agree-to-reconvene-senate-early-for-impeachment-trial |url-status=live }}</ref> McConnell called for delaying the Senate trial until after Joe Biden's inauguration.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Watkins |first=Morgan |title=In Senate vote, McConnell opposes Trump impeachment trial's constitutionality |url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2021/02/09/big-vote-mitch-mcconnell-opposes-trump-trials-constitutionality/4454794001/ |access-date=May 11, 2021 |website=The Courier-Journal |language=en-US |archive-date=January 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129062342/https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2021/02/09/big-vote-mitch-mcconnell-opposes-trump-trials-constitutionality/4454794001/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Once the Senate trial started, McConnell voted to acquit Trump on February 13, 2021, and said it was unconstitutional to convict someone who was no longer in office.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Berman |first=Ari |title=Mitch McConnell delayed Trump's impeachment trial. Now he says the delay makes it unconstitutional. |url=https://www.motherjones.com/mojo-wire/2021/02/mitch-mcconnell-delayed-trumps-impeachment-trial-now-he-says-the-delay-makes-it-unconstitutional/ |access-date=May 11, 2021 |website=[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]] |language=en-US |archive-date=April 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419074210/https://www.motherjones.com/mojo-wire/2021/02/mitch-mcconnell-delayed-trumps-impeachment-trial-now-he-says-the-delay-makes-it-unconstitutional/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The vote was a bipartisan majority ([[Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump#Verdict|57–43]]) but not enough to pass the two-thirds threshold.<ref>{{cite web |title=Trump acquitted, denounced in historic impeachment trial |url=https://www.startribune.com/trump-acquitted-denounced-in-historic-impeachment-trial/600022669/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219215356/https://www.startribune.com/trump-acquitted-denounced-in-historic-impeachment-trial/600022669/ |archive-date=February 19, 2021 |access-date=February 13, 2021 |website=Star Tribune}}</ref> After the vote McConnell lambasted and condemned Trump, despite his vote to acquit, in a 20-minute speech on the floor of the Senate, saying he believes Trump to be guilty of everything alleged by the House managers.<ref>{{cite web |title=McConnell: 'Trump is still liable for everything he did' – read full speech |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/mcconnell-trump-is-still-liable-for-everything-he-did-read-full-speech-11613254884 |access-date=February 13, 2021 |website=[[MarketWatch]] |archive-date=February 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213223047/https://www.marketwatch.com/story/mcconnell-trump-is-still-liable-for-everything-he-did-read-full-speech-11613254884 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=McConnell blames Trump but voted not guilty anyway|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/13/politics/mitch-mcconnell-acquit-trump/index.html|access-date=February 13, 2021|website=[[CNN]]|first1=Alex|last1=Rogers|first2=Manu|last2=Raju|date=February 13, 2021|archive-date=February 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214025808/https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/13/politics/mitch-mcconnell-acquit-trump/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He stated that:

{{blockquote|Former President Trump's actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful dereliction of duty&nbsp;... There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day&nbsp;... If President Trump were still in office, I would have carefully considered whether the House managers proved their specific charge.<ref name="republicanleader.senate.gov">{{cite web |title=McConnell on Impeachment: 'Disgraceful Dereliction"" Cannot Lead Senate to 'Defy Our Own Constitutional Guardrails' |url=https://www.republicanleader.senate.gov/newsroom/remarks/mcconnell-on-impeachment-disgraceful-dereliction-cannot-lead-senate-to-defy-our-own-constitutional-guardrails |access-date=February 13, 2021 |website=republicanleader.senate.gov |archive-date=February 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213231557/https://www.republicanleader.senate.gov/newsroom/remarks/mcconnell-on-impeachment-disgraceful-dereliction-cannot-lead-senate-to-defy-our-own-constitutional-guardrails |url-status=live }}</ref>}}

He explained why he nonetheless voted to acquit: "Article&nbsp;II, Section&nbsp;4 must have force. It tells us the President, Vice President, and civil officers may be impeached and convicted. Donald Trump is no longer the president. Clearly that mandatory sentence cannot be applied to somebody who has left office. The entire process revolves around removal. If removal becomes impossible, conviction becomes insensible." Yet he said that Trump "didn't get away with anything yet" since Trump would remain subject to the country's criminal and civil laws.<ref name="republicanleader.senate.gov" />

When there was a proposal for an independent [[January 6 commission|commission to investigate the January 6 United States Capitol attack]], McConnell sought to organize Republican Senators to filibuster it,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Senate Republicans prepared to block Jan. 6 commission |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/05/27/republicans-to-block-january-6-commission-491162 |access-date=May 27, 2021 |website=[[Politico]] |first=Burgess |last=Everett |date=May 27, 2021 |language=en |archive-date=June 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601030852/https://www.politico.com/news/2021/05/27/republicans-to-block-january-6-commission-491162 |url-status=live }}</ref> and on May 28, 2021, he voted against its creation.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 28, 2021 |title=Which senators supported a Jan. 6 Capitol riot commission |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/january6-commission-senators-vote/ |access-date=May 29, 2021 |archive-date=May 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526225939/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/january6-commission-senators-vote/ |url-status=live }}</ref>