President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE told reporters Wednesday that he learned from his impeachment that Democrats are “crooked” and “vicious.”

Trump was asked by reporters in the Oval Office what he had learned from his impeachment by the Democrat-controlled House.

“That the Democrats are crooked,” Trump replied. “They’ve got a lot of crooked things going, that they’re vicious, that they shouldn’t have brought impeachment and that my poll numbers are 10 points higher because of fake news like NBC.”

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The president was acquitted of charges he abused his power and obstructed Congress in two votes that fell almost strictly along party lines last week in the GOP-controlled Senate.

Trump made the remarks during an Oval Office meeting with Ecuador’s president Wednesday afternoon.

Some Republican senators who have been critical of Trump’s conduct at the center of the impeachment case while voting to acquit him said they hoped the president would learn a lesson as a result of his impeachment. Sen. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsThe Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally Gideon leads Collins by 12 points in Maine Senate race: poll Senate leaders quash talk of rank-and-file COVID-19 deal MORE (R-Maine) asserted last week that Trump had learned a lesson from impeachment, a remark she later said was “aspirational.”

Trump has repeatedly insisted that his phone call with Ukraine’s president that the impeachment case centered on was “perfect.” On the July 25 call, Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the business dealings of former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenCast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response Biden tells CNN town hall that he has benefited from white privilege MORE and his son Hunter Biden with Ukraine.

The House of Representatives subsequently approved articles of impeachment accusing him of abusing his power by pressuring Kyiv for politically motivated investigations and of obstructing the congressional inquiry into his dealings with Ukraine. House Republicans were united in opposition to impeachment when it was put to a vote in December.

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Sen. Mitt Romney Willard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyGOP-led panel to hear from former official who said Burisma was not a factor in US policy Joe Biden's dangerous view of 'normalcy' The electoral reality that the media ignores MORE (R-Utah) was the lone GOP senator to vote with Senate Democrats in favor of removing Trump from office over the abuse of power allegation in the vote last Wednesday.

Trump’s legal team sought to poke holes in Democrats’ case while arguing that the articles fell short of alleging impeachable offenses and that Democrats were motivated by partisan interests in their decision to impeach Trump in the first place.

Trump has celebrated his acquittal in recent days while eviscerating his opponents, including Romney and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiMcConnell focuses on confirming judicial nominees with COVID-19 talks stalled Overnight Defense: Top admiral says 'no condition' where US should conduct nuclear test 'at this time' | Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings Pelosi must go — the House is in dire need of new leadership MORE (D-Calif.), who was a central figure in the decision to move forward with impeachment in the lower chamber.