NASHUA, N.H. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The U.S. Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump Wednesday afternoon, ending the impeachment trial.
But hours earlier, two senators who voted to convict the president of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress were on the campaign trail up north.
Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren held events Wednesday morning—Sanders with a town hall in Derry, and Warren with a rally in Nashua. They were on strict time deadlines, as both had to jet back to the capitol for the impeachment vote.
Warren said the impeachment process showed how Senate Republicans had locked arms around President Trump.
"They established, when they put on a sham trial, that their first loyalty is not to the constitution, but to Donald Trump," she said. "We're dealing with a Senate where the majority is determined to protect that man at all costs."
Warren was asked, though she already correctly assumed Trump would be acquited, if she thought anything good had come of the impeachment trial.
"I think it has exposed to the American people just how much Republicans in the Senate are willing to break the basic understandings of how our government works, including what constitutes a fair trial, in order to protect the most corrupt president in history," she said.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire Wednesday morning. (Getty Images)
At his rally, Sanders said he saw the day as sad and solemn for the country.
"The reason I'm wearing a tie is, I'm going to be on a plane in a few minutes, going to Washington, D.C. to vote for the impeachment of Donald Trump."
The Vermont senator said he'd prefer to be on the campaign trail, but saw the vote as a serious matter.
"Impeachment is a rarity, it is of enormous consequence, and it is something I have taken seriously," Sanders said. "An impeachment is not about policy. This is about abuse of power. This is about a president who withheld, in my view, almost $400 million of military aid to Ukraine, a country at war with Russia, in order to extract out of them an investigation into one of his political opponents."
President Trump maintains that he acted within his rights, and did not pressure Ukraine for his own personal gain.
"And then, when that truth became public, Trump undertook a massive cover-up of what he was doing," Sanders continued. "And when the U.S. Congress, under its responsibility, subpoenaed members of his administration, demanded documents, he refused to provide that information."
Sanders expressed concerns about the implications of a potential vote to acquit.
"If Trump gets away with this, I want you to appreciate the precedent that is being established," Sanders said. "It means that future presidents can say to a governor, 'Hey, I got some infrastructure money for you, but you're not gonna get your fair share unless I get your endorsement, or go to China and say, 'Hey China, I need some help in my coming election, see what kind of dirt you can dig up on my opponent, and we'll give you a better trade agreement.'"
He also made reference to the chaotic Iowa Caucus, the final results of which were still being counted—and said he expected to take away roughly the same amount of delegates from Iowa to the national convention as Pete Buttigieg.
"As some of you may know, they are still counting votes in Iowa," Sanders said. "I assume that one of these years, that vote count will be completed, but as of 70 percent of the count, we are winning the popular vote."
WBZ NewsRadio's Madison Rogers (@_madisonrogers) reports
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