US political divisions will remain deeply entrenched

Significance

The January 6 assault on the Capitol, which triggered the impeachment, followed a period in which those divisions reached a new level of intensity.

Impacts

• A significant minority of US voters will continue to believe that the 2020 election was stolen.
• Senate acquittal on the impeachment charge would underscore Trump's continuing hold on Republican legislators.
• Some senior Republicans hope to achieve a clean break with Trump but the party base will not permit this.
• The growing shift from mainstream social media to encrypted services raises new questions for web-hosting companies.
• Rumours persist that Trump may launch a new political party or conservative media outlet.