Although many Democrats still contend that the impeachment was a politically motivated witch hunt and that Clinton’s actions, while worthy of condemnation, did not rise to the level of impeachment, the proceeding clearly tarnished him. (It doesn’t help that some of Clinton’s key policy achievements, including NAFTA, the 1994 crime bill, and welfare reform, have also fallen out of favor.) They also probably harmed his party’s political prospects. It’s no accident that Clinton still nurses a grudge about impeachment.

Trump is angry, too. Though he continues to claim that impeachment will be a political boon to him in 2020—it’s possible, though maybe not likely, and any judgment is premature—the president is reportedly seething privately over the impeachment. Yesterday, his fury spilled into public in a bizarre, rambling, self-pitying letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Trump has taken public consolation from the assurance that the Senate will not convict and remove him. But while impeachment is often likened to an indictment, they’re not exactly the same. Impeachment is a serious sanction in itself, and acquittal in the Senate is not the same as vindication. Members of the Senate are not voting merely on whether charges are true, but whether they merit removal. Again, comparison to Clinton is useful: There was no question that Clinton had lied under oath; the question was whether the offense was serious enough for him to lose his office.

David A. Graham: The Trump presidency is in free fall

In Trump’s case, the Senate’s anticipated decision will not erase the substantial evidence against him. Trump sent his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, to meddle in Ukraine, creating a foreign-policy back channel that was designed to aid his 2020 reelection bid by digging up damaging information about former Vice President Joe Biden, the leading Democratic candidate for president.

When Giuliani’s efforts came up short, and the sitting president of Ukraine lost in a landslide, Trump and his allies quickly moved to extort assistance from Ukraine’s new president, Volodymyr Zelensky, in order to improve his prospects in the 2020 election. While also raising a bogus conspiracy theory about Russian interference in the 2016 election, Trump asked Zelensky to investigate a company where Biden’s son served as a director. Trump-administration officials said in sworn testimony that Trump expressed no interest in the result of the investigation, but solely in the announcement—that is, the political benefit, not any fight against corruption.

In apparent violation of the law, Trump held up millions of dollars of military aid to Ukraine, desperately needed in its battle against Russia, that had been appropriated by Congress. The administration then sought to create retroactive justifications for the hold. The aid was eventually released after the hold became public, but Trump refused to cooperate with Congress, declining to allow testimony and holding back documents from the investigation. Meanwhile, Trump and Giuliani continue to try to extort foreign interference in the election.