Key takeaways: With acquittal, Trump wins battle for the Republican soul
b'Key takeaways: With acquittal, Trump wins battle for the Republican soul The decision by most GOP senators to acquit Trump in the 57-43 vote on a charge of incitement of insurrection demonstrates that there remains deep hesitation in the party to disown the former president or his brand of politics. That comes despite Trump\'s role in the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol that endangered their safety and that of others, in a failed attempt by his supporters to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election.\\n\\nWhile impeachment managers won a majority of Senate votes to convict Trump, with seven Republicans joining all 50 Democrats and independents, the margin fell short of the two-thirds majority of 67 votes required under the Constitution to convict. He\'s a strong force in the party. There\'s no doubt about that," Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., told NBC News.\\n\\nThe consensus of Senate Republican leadership in favor of acquittal sends a signal to aspiring officeholders, donors and activists: They are unlikely to build or support political infrastructure to elevate GOP candidates who stand against the ex-president.\\n\\nDuring Trump\'s presidency, several Republicans who clashed with him left the party, including former Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, while others pulled the plug on their political careers, like Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona. The dynamics that exiled them were entrenched by Trump\'s acquittal. Some Democrats were shocked at the GOP\'s desire to stand behind Trump.\\n\\n"I\'m just incredulous," Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, told reporters before the vote on Friday. "Incredulous, except I\'ve watched, I\'ve watched my spineless colleagues walk around with fear in their eyes for four years. And so maybe I shouldn\'t be surprised."\\n\\nThe impacts are likely to reverberate in American politics for years. Here\'s how the vote affects the relevant parties:'