Take 2: Trump Acquittal, Caucus Chaos

Carlee George, Staff Writer • February 7, 2020

The Take 2 series features brief weekly updates on the state or nation’s relevant news for the community.

Trump Acquittal – The impeachment trial against President Trump drew to a close on Feb. 5 with the Senate voting to acquit him on both charges, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The votes were 48 to 52 for Article I: Abuse of Power and 47 to 53 for Article II: Obstruction of Congress. The votes followed party lines, except for Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah who voted yes to abuse of power.

Why this is important – Trump’s acquittal means that he was not impeached and will serve the remainder of his term. As the trial drew to a close, one poll reported that Trump’s approval rate was at an all time high. Only three presidents have been impeached, but he will be the first president to run in a general election after impeachment and acquittal.

Caucus Chaos (Iowa Caucus) – The Iowa Caucus was held Feb. 3 as the first nominating contest for the Democratic presidential elects. Registered voters showed support to their favored delegate. There is controversy surrounding the results that had Pete Buttigieg in the lead with 26.2 percent, barely in front of Bernie Sanders with 26.1 percent. A technical problem with the mobile app used to report results led to the Associated Press stating that they cannot declare a winner.

Why this is important – The winner of the Iowa Caucus would’ve been granted a lot of media coverage that would boost their campaign. With controversy surrounding the results, the attention has gone to that instead of one candidate. This puts more pressure on the upcoming New Hampshire primary on Feb. 11 to clarify results and give the public an idea of the leading Democratic candidate.

About the Contributors

Carlee George, Staff Writer

Chloe Smith is entering her senior year, and she is very excited for what this year of unknown will bring. She is eager to experience all of her lasts at Lovejoy High School. In previous years, Smith worked on the Broadcast Team as the executive producer, and this year, she decided to blend newspaper and video by joining The Red Ledger staff. Outside of the studio, Smith spends her time on the soccer field, bass fishing and soaking up time with her family, friends and boyfriend. Eager to produce content for this year, she is also a little nervous whilst in the midst of applying to colleges and working on applications. Nevertheless, Smith is ready for a great year.

Hannah Gonzalez, Graphics Editor

Mama Mia, here we go again. As she takes her last ride in the TRL classroom, Hannah Gonzalez is ready to end this year with a bang. Gonzalez serves as a Co-Graphics editor for the third year in a row and this is her fourth year on staff. When she’s not making killer graphics, you can most likely find Gonzalez on the volleyball court, at FCA meetings, in school or going for a joy ride in the Jeep that she named “Beep.” Although TRL is life, Gonzalez also enjoys going for late-night ice cream runs, watching early morning sunrises, going to church every Sunday morning and going on an occasional lake trip. To add to her list of accomplishments, Gonzalez has won three state championships and is looking for a fourth. With her happy planner by her side, Gonzalez is looking forward to kicking procrastination to the curb as she conquers her final year as a high school student.