The certain exoneration of Trump in the Senate, despite overwhelmingly evidence to remove him from office, creates immediate dangers to the integrity and fairness of the coming elections. Who knows what he might do to secure his reelection.

At the same time, the obvious manipulation of the trial by Senate Republicans renders the president’s “victory” duplicitous and illegitimate for a majority of Americans. Unlike the Mueller investigation, the impeachment process didn’t take place behind closed doors. Nor will it easily be spun as Mueller’s finding were by the likes of Trump, Barr, and all to a once burned public.

In fact, the fixed trial, despite the heroic efforts of Democrats, makes it certain that the investigations into Trump’s flagrant wrongdoing and criminality will continue. The genie isn’t going to go back into the bottle. Indeed, millions of patriotic and democratic minded Americans expect to hear more.

What is more, the light shed on the lengths that Trump will go to destroy an opponent and rip up “our” constitution in order to secure his re-election will lend new energy and determination to the massive, diverse, and growing coalition to defeat Trump and the corrupted Republican Party in the coming elections.

It’s a dark day for the country, but rays of light are piercing through the darkness.