A combative President Donald Trump celebrated his acquittal in the gruelling impeachment trial by launching a tirade against the Democrats, saying, "they want to destroy our country."
A day after he was acquitted by the ruling Republican Party-controlled Senate on the two impeachment charges abuse of power and obstruction to Congress Trump appeared confident, energetic and combative as ever against his opponents.
"It's a celebration," Trump said of the event, attended by top Republican politicians, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as well as the members of the Cabinet and the legal team that defended him in the Senate trial.
"We went through hell, unfairly, did nothing wrong, did nothing wrong. I've done things wrong in my life, I will admit," Trump said in the East Room of the White House on Thursday.
"This is really not a news conference. It's not a speech. It's not anything. It's just we're sort of -- it's a celebration because we have something that just worked out. I mean it worked out," the 73-year-old president said.
In his speech that lasted for over an hour, Trump said, "Now we have that gorgeous word. I never thought it would sound so good."
"It's called 'total acquittal'."
"They want to destroy our country," Trump said of the Democrats.
Trump was impeached by the Democratic Party-led House of Representatives in December for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, but was acquitted on Wednesday after a two-week trial in the Senate.
Trump also used a swear word to describe the justice department inquiry into whether his 2016 election campaign had colluded with Russia.
"This should never happen to another president ever."
"It was evil, it was corrupt," Trump said of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, which concluded that the Russians sought to actively interfere to help Trump and hurt his Democratic Party rival, Hillary Clinton.
"We caught 'em in the act ... dirty cops, bad people," Trump said.
He also criticised the impeachment foes who invoked their religious faith.
"There were some that used religion as a crutch. ... A failed presidential candidate so things can happen when you fail so badly running for president," Trump said of Senator Mitt Romney, who voted to convict Trump on abuse of power.
"A guy who can't stand the fact that he ran one of the worst campaign in the history of the country," Trump added on the fellow Republican lawmaker.
Trump alleged that Democrats are lousy politicians because they have lousy policy, open borders, sanctuary cities. "They have horrible policy. Who the hell can win? Oh, their new policy is raise taxes. They want to raise taxes," he said as he slammed top Democratic leaders including the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"I've always said they're lousy politicians, but they do two things. They are vicious and mean, vicious. These people are vicious. Adam Schiff is a vicious, horrible person. Nancy Pelosi is a horrible person. And she wanted to impeach a long time ago.
"When she said, I pray for the president, I pray for the president. She doesn't pray. She may pray, but she prays for the opposite. But I doubt she prays at all," he added.
"This is sort of a day of celebration because we went through hell," Trump said.
In the end, Trump also offered a rare apology - to his family, for having to "go through a phony, rotten deal".
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