GOP senator says Trump’s actions were ‘inexcusable’ — but then offers an excuse

Sen. John Thune (R-SD) released a statement saying Donald Trump's actions were "inexcusable" -- before offering an excuse for why he did not vote to convict the former president for inciting insurrection.

""The impeachment trial is over and former President Trump has been acquitted. My vote to acquit should not be viewed as exoneration for his conduct on January 6, 2021, or in the days and weeks leading up to it. What former President Trump did to undermine faith in our election system and disrupt the peaceful transfer of power is inexcusable," Thune wrote.

In the next paragraph, he offered his excuse.

""But he is no longer president. The Constitution is clear that the primary purpose of impeachment is removal from office, and that's what I believe the Founders intended. I have great concerns with the Senate punishing a private citizen with the sole intent of disqualifying him from holding future office. Our Founders designed impeachment to be an extreme remedy and cautioned against its use as a political weapon. We should heed their caution. In our democracy, matters of representation should be left with the people, as the Founders intended," he wrote.