U.S. President Donald Trump celebrated his acquittal on impeachment charges with a pair of speeches on Thursday that drew on White House pomp and the solemnity of an annual prayer breakfast to underscore the fact that he remained in office.

After walking down a red carpet to a standing ovation from scores of Republican lawmakers, administration officials and conservative media figures in the East Room of the White House, Trump re-aired old grievances and accused Democrats of staging a "corrupt" effort to undermine his presidency in a speech lasting more than an hour.

'Corrupt' Democrat

"I've done things wrong in my life, I will admit ... but this is what the end result is," Trump said, holding up a copy of the Washington Post with the headline "Trump acquitted."

The Republican president then handed the newspaper to his wife, Melania, and said maybe they would frame it.

Speaking without a teleprompter, he referred to the 22-month investigation by former U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller into his 2016 election campaign's possible contacts with Russia, using a profanity.

"It was all bullshit," he said.

The Republican-controlled Senate voted on Wednesday to acquit Trump on charges brought by the Democratic-led House of Representatives stemming from his dealings with Ukraine, only the third time in U.S. history that a president has been impeached.

The acquittal was Trump's biggest victory yet over his foes in Congress, who had attacked Senate Republicans for refusing to call witnesses or seek new evidence at the trial.

Earlier on Thursday, Trump spoke at the annual National Prayer Breakfast, a historically bipartisan event attended by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Pelosi, who launched the impeachment inquiry in September, said in December that she did not hate Trump and that she prayed for him. Republican Senator Mitt Romney voted to convict Trump on the charge of abuse of power. Romney was the only Republican to vote for conviction. No Democrat voted to acquit.

"I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong. Nor do I like people who say 'I pray for you,' when they know that that's not so," Trump said at the breakfast as Pelosi sat nearby on the stage.

Trump, who has strong support from evangelical Christians and conservative Catholics, referred to the issue again in the East Room: "I doubt she (Pelosi) prays at all."

The U.S. speaker ripped a copy of Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday night seconds after Trump finished delivering it. She got a standing ovation from Democratic lawmakers at their caucus meeting on Wednesday, Democratic aides said.

"Last night, we saw the president of the United States shred the truth right in front of us. Tear up the truth," Pelosi explained, according to an aide who took notes at the closed-door gathering.

Trump also called former FBI Director James Comey a "sleazebag" and Representative Adam Schiff, the House Democrat who spearheaded the impeachment drive, a "vicious, horrible person." He also reprised his attacks on 2016 Democratic rival presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Many Democrats said Trump had wasted an opportunity to bring the country together, referring to the address took place on Tuesday.

"Instead of self-victimizing and self-aggrandizing, instead of being spiteful and vindictive, President Trump could have used his nationally televised speech to show some contrition and unite the nation," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

(With input from Reuters)