President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE on Thursday celebrated his impeachment acquittal during a freewheeling White House speech in which he declared vindication and denied any shred of wrongdoing having survived the most perilous stretch of his presidency.

“This is really not a news conference, it’s not a speech. It’s not anything,” Trump said to a crowd of GOP lawmakers, Cabinet officials, family members and other supporters at the East Room of the White House. “It’s just, we’re sort of, it’s a celebration because we have something that just worked out.

“It’s called total acquittal,” said Trump, who held aloft a newspaper headline declaring him cleared by the GOP-controlled Senate.

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What followed was a mixture of a victory lap, a condensed campaign rally and an airing of grievances. Trump spoke for an hour, relying sparingly on the printed notes he had in front of him.

Reps. Matt Gaetz Matthew (Matt) GaetzLara Trump campaigns with far-right activist candidate Laura Loomer in Florida House to vote on removing cannabis from list of controlled substances The Hill's 12:30 Report: Sights and sounds from GOP convention night 1 MORE (R-Fla.), Doug Collins Douglas (Doug) Allen CollinsWin by QAnon believer creates new headaches for House GOP Andrew Clyde wins Georgia GOP runoff to replace Doug Collins New poll shows tight presidential race in Georgia MORE (R-Ga.), Jim Jordan James (Jim) Daniel JordanRepublicans call for Judiciary hearing into unrest in cities run by Democrats Trump, GOP seek to rebut Democratic narrative on night one Jim Jordan praises Trump for calling his family after nephew's death MORE (R-Ohio), Elise Stefanik Elise Marie StefanikRepublicans cast Trump as best choice for women The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Pence rips Biden as radical risk GOP women offer personal testimonials on Trump MORE (R-N.Y.) and Mark Meadows Mark Randall MeadowsAmerican Airlines, unions call for six-month extension of government aid McEnany tells CNN reporter to come work at the White House for details on health care plan Trump undercuts GOP, calls for bigger COVID-19 relief package MORE (R-N.C.) were among the guests, as were Fox News host Laura Ingraham Laura Anne IngrahamSean Hannity and Lou Dobbs to be deposed in Seth Rich lawsuit: report NYC living statue shows Trump desecrating graves of war dead, COVID-19 victims American Airlines will allow employees to wear Black Lives Matter pins MORE and contributor Katie Pavlich. Several GOP senators, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll The 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 MORE (R-Ky.), were in attendance as well.

He recognized each of the lawmakers in attendance, taking a jovial tone as he recognized them each individually and riffing on the origins of their relationships that he said had been strengthened in the last few months.

Trump boasted about stock market gains under his administration and predicted Republicans would retake the House majority because of a backlash to impeachment.

“The spirit for the Republican Party right now is, I think, stronger than it’s ever been in the history of our country,” Trump said.

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Few of Trump’s most prominent foils were spared on Thursday. He called former FBI Director James Comey James Brien ComeyBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Michael Cohen book debuts at top of bestseller list Trump offered Kelly FBI director's job, demanded loyalty: report MORE “a disaster” and a “sleaze,” complained about the Russia investigation at length, ripped Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiPowell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy Overnight Defense: House to vote on military justice bill spurred by Vanessa Guillén death | Biden courts veterans after Trump's military controversies Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings MORE (D-Calif.) and Rep. Adam Schiff Adam Bennett SchiffOvernight Defense: House to vote on military justice bill spurred by Vanessa Guillén death | Biden courts veterans after Trump's military controversies Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings Democrats, advocates seethe over Florida voting rights ruling MORE (D-Calif.) as “vicious” and “horrible” people, chided Sen. Mitt Romney Willard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyThe Memo: Warning signs flash for Trump on debates GOP votes to authorize subpoenas, depositions in Obama-era probe Overnight Defense: Trump hosts Israel, UAE, Bahrain for historic signing l Air Force reveals it secretly built and flew new fighter jet l Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' MORE (R-Utah) for being a “failed presidential candidate” and complained Democrats running for president are “saying the most horrendous things about me.”

Trump insisted he did nothing wrong and described his phone call with Ukraine’s president at the center of his impeachment as a “good phone call.”

“We went through hell, unfairly. Did nothing wrong,” Trump said Thursday. “I’ve done things wrong in life, I will admit. Not purposely. But I’ve done things wrong. But this is what the end result is.”

He did offer one apology, saying he was sorry his family had to go through "a phony, rotten deal by some very sick, evil people."

The Senate on Wednesday acquitted Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress approved by the Democratic-controlled House. Democrats alleged he pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rivals by withholding security aid.

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On the first article, 52 senators voted to acquit and 48 senators voted to convict; Romney was the lone Republican to join Democratic senators in voting to remove Trump from office on the abuse of power charge. On obstruction, 53 senators voted to acquit and 47 voted to convict.

Romney's vote was significant. He became the first senator in U.S. history to vote to remove a president from their own political party through an impeachment trial.

The development brought an end to a months-long process that entrenched divisions on Capitol Hill and lifted a cloud that has followed Trump since late September when the House launched an impeachment inquiry into his dealings with Ukraine following revelations from a whistleblower complaint.

There was speculation leading up to Wednesday’s vote that the White House would get at least one Democratic senator to cross over and vote to acquit Trump on at least one of the articles. But the three Democrats considered swing votes — Sens. Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin Joseph (Joe) ManchinSenate leaders quash talk of rank-and-file COVID-19 deal OVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week | EPA reappoints controversial leader to air quality advisory committee | Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' Senate Democrats demand White House fire controversial head of public lands agency MORE (D-W.Va.) — all voted to convict Trump on both charges.

The outcome appeared to catch the White House by surprise. On Wednesday, Vice President Pence said on Fox News he was expecting a “bipartisan vote” to acquit Trump.

The president has lashed out at Romney on Twitter, and he used his remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast to take issue with the Utah senator's faith.

A handful of Republican senators — Sens. 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), Lamar Alexander Andrew (Lamar) Lamar AlexanderTrump health officials grilled over reports of politics in COVID-19 response Now is the time to renew our focus on students and their futures CDC says asymptomatic people don't need testing, draws criticism from experts MORE (R-Tenn.) and Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann MurkowskiGOP ramps up attacks on Democrats over talk of nixing filibuster OVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week | EPA reappoints controversial leader to air quality advisory committee | Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week MORE (R-Alaska) among them — have denounced Trump’s behavior toward Ukraine as inappropriate and wrong, but still voted to acquit him, arguing it was best for voters to decide his fate.

But Trump is unlikely to be chastened by their condemnations, or in Collins’s case her hope Trump learned “a pretty big lesson” from the impeachment proceedings.

Trump on Thursday, appearing to reference Collins’s comments, said it was “OK” that some senators felt his actions were inappropriate before adding “it’s incorrect.”

Trump appeared unready to fully move on from impeachment on Thursday.

His speech was peppered with attacks on Democrats, and he assured the room full of supporters he was prepared to keep up the fight as Democrats signaled they would continue to pursue investigations.

“If they find that I happen to walk across the street and maybe go against the light or something: let’s impeach him. So I’ll probably have to do it again because these people have gone stone cold crazy. But I’ve beaten them all my life, and I’ll beat them again if I have to.”