Senate votes to acquit Donald Trump in impeachment trial

The Senate on Saturday acquitted former President Donald Trump of an article of impeachment that charged he incited the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

The 57-43 vote fell far short of the Constitutions two-thirds requirement.

Seven Republicans broke ranks and voted to convict Trump: Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

Trump thanked the 43 Republicans who voted to acquit him in an emailed statement.

Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun. In the months ahead I have much to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people. There has never been anything like it! Trump said.

It is a sad commentary on our times that one political party in America is given a free pass to denigrate the rule of law, defame law enforcement, cheer mobs, excuse rioters, and transform justice into a tool of political vengeance, and persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree. I always have, and always will, be a champion for the unwavering rule of law, the heroes of law enforcement, and the right of Americans to peacefully and honorably debate the issues of the day without malice and without hate.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) voted to acquit but tore into Trump in a floor speech afterwards. He said President Trump is constitutionally not eligible for conviction as a result of already leaving office, but that there is no question none that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day.

The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president and having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy theories and reckless hyperbole, which the defeated president kept shouting into the largest megaphone on planet Earth, McConnell said.

McConnell, who is Washingtons most powerful post-Trump Republican, accused the former president of being responsible for increasingly wild myths about a reverse landslide election that was somehow being stolen.

Although he voted to acquit, McConnells speech mirrored the pro-conviction arguments of impeachment managers. He said Trump imperiled former Vice President Mike Pence and Capitol police officers.

The leader in the free world cannot spend weeks thundering that shadowy forces are stealing our country and then feign surprise when people believe him and do reckless things, McConnell said.

This was an intensifying crescendo of conspiracy theories orchestrated by an outgoing president who seemed determined to either overturn the voters decision or else torch our institutions on the way out.

McConnell said Trump was watching the same live television as the rest of us. A mob was assaulting the Capitol in his name. These criminals were carrying his banners, hanging his flags and screaming their loyalty to him. It was obvious that only President Trump could end this The president did not act swifty, he did not do his job Instead, according to public reports he watched television happily as the chaos unfolded. He kept pressing his scheme to overturn the election.

McConnell added that Trump voters arent responsible for the violence. 74 million Americans did not engineer the campaign of disinformation and rage that provoked it. One person did. Just one, he said.

But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) argued that the acquittal could result in more violence.

The failure to convict Donald Trump will live as a vote of infamy in the history of the United States Senate, Schumer said.

Schumer said that if lying about the results of an election is acceptable, if instigating a mob against the government is considered permissible, if encouraging political violence becomes the norm, it will be open season on our democracy and everything will be up for grabs by whoever has the biggest clubs, the sharpest spears, the most powerful guns.

Trump attorney Michael van der Veen maintained in closing arguments that Democrats were hypocritical for impeaching Trump over a heated pre-riot speech and said the proceeding was unconstitutional.

Throughout the summer Democrat leaders including the current president and vice president repeatedly made comments that provided moral comfort to mobs attacking police officers, van der Veen said.

Van der Veen said that the Capitol break-in that disrupted certification of President Bidens victory and left five dead actually was pre-planned and premeditated by fringe left and right groups.

The gathering on Jan. 6 was supposed to be an entirely peaceful event, van der Veen said. He argued that local officials failed to provide adequate security for the Capitol.

Trumps now second impeachment acquittal followed a dramatic request by House managers to call at least one witness threatening to drag the trial weeks longer only for a compromise to be reached adding a statement from Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) into the record.

Lead impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) argued that Trump must be convicted and banned from holding office again to preserve US democratic traditions.

Weve shown you how President Trump created a powder keg, lit a match and then continued his incitement even as he failed to defend us from the ensuing violence, Raskin said Saturday.

This case is about whether our country demands a peaceful, non-violent transfer of power.

Raskin said that Trump knew there would be violence at the Capitol after he concluded a pre-riot speech and that he didnt join the march because he didnt want to be too close to the action when all hell was about to break loose.

Were defending the US Senate and the US House against a president who acted no better than a marauder and a member of that mob by inciting those people to come here. And in many ways he was worse. He named the date, he named the time and he brought them here. And now, he must pay the price, Raskin closed.

The trials outcome was long viewed as a foregone conclusion due to the 17 Republican votes needed to convict. Last month, just 10 House Republicans voted to impeach Trump and on Tuesday only six GOP senators voted that the trial was constitutional.

Many Republican senators said they could not see past their belief that the trial was unconstitutional because Trump no longer holds office. Others said that they believed that impeachment managers failed to prove that Trump incited the violence.

No. 2 Senate Republican John Thune of South Dakota, against whom Trump has encouraged a 2022 primary challenge, also voted to acquit Trump, despite saying on Wednesday that the Democratic case was very effective and I think theyve done a good job connecting the dots.

It was the fourth Senate impeachment trial in US history and follows Trumps acquittal last year in a separate trial for allegedly obstructing Congress and abusing his power by asking Ukraine to investigate now-President Biden and his son Hunter.

The Senate also acquitted Trump in February 2020 of charges he obstructed Congress and abused his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate President Biden and his son Hunter. A single Republican, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, voted to find him guilty on one of those two counts.

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Senate votes to acquit Donald Trump in impeachment trial