Senator Pat Toomey, R-Pa., Attends a campaign event at Herbert W. Best VFW Post 928 in Folsom, Pa., Sept. 23, 2016. John McCain, R-Ariz., Is also attending in support of Toomey.
Tom Williams | CQ appeal | Getty Images
WASHINGTON – Seven Republican senators and all of the Democrats found former President Donald Trump guilty on Saturday for instigating the U.S. Capitol insurrection, despite the bipartisan vote that was insufficient to achieve the two-thirds majority required for conviction.
In Trump’s second impeachment trial, Republican Sens. Richard Burr from North Carolina, Bill Cassidy from Louisiana, Susan Collins from Maine, Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, Mitt Romney from Utah, Ben Sasse from Nebraska and Pat Toomey from Pennsylvania voted for the 45th sentence. President.
The seven GOP senators joined 48 Democrats and two independent senators.
The Senate acquitted Trump in a 57-43 vote on charges of instigating riots for his role in the deadly January 6th Capitol riot. It took Democrats 17 Republicans to join Trump.
The decision came after the House impeachment managers reversed course and dropped a call for testimony that would have delayed the verdict. The acquittal marks the end of a five-day impeachment trial.
Trump is the first president to be tried and tried twice.
Senator Mitt Romney, R-Utah speaks to a group of bipartisan lawmakers during a press conference to unveil a COVID-19 emergency relief framework at the Dirksen Senate office building in Washington on Tuesday, December 1, 2020.
Caroline Brehman | CQ Appeal, Inc. | Getty Images
During Trump’s first impeachment trial, Romney was the only Republican to quit his party and convict the president. The Senate acquitted Trump in 2020 on impeachment proceedings resulting from his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Senator Lisa Murkowski, who can be re-elected in 2022, had previously called for Trump to resign after the Capitol uprising. Senator Pat Toomey had also called for the president to resign. He has stated that he will not run for re-election if his seat expires in 2022.
Senator Ben Sasse said last month he was open to considering impeachment proceedings against the former Republican president.
Senator Burr, who has announced that he will not seek re-election, had previously voted to oppose impeachment on constitutional grounds. Burr’s term ends in 2022.
Senator Cassidy originally said he would dismiss the case on the grounds that it was unconstitutional, but then changed his voice last week, saying Trump’s lawyers had done a “terrible” job clarifying the matter.
Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-AK, speaks during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions nominations hearing for Marty Walsh to be the Secretary of Labor on February 4, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
Graeme Jennings | Pool | Reuters
Trump’s defense team denied the former president instigated the attack, arguing that the former president’s rhetoric was protected by the first change. His lawyers also called the trial unconstitutional as Trump was no longer president.
“The Democrats were obsessed with indicting Mr. Trump from the start,” said Trump’s attorney Michael van der Veen in concluding arguments.
“In short, this impeachment was a complete charade from start to finish. The whole spectacle was nothing more than the opposition party’s unreserved pursuit of longstanding political vengeance against Mr. Trump,” he added.
Senior impeachment manager, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, urged Senators to review in his closing remarks what he called “overwhelming,” “irrefutable,” and “not refuted.”
“This process is ultimately not about Donald Trump. The country and the world know who Donald Trump is. This process is about who we are,” said Raskin.
