Seven Republicans voted to convict
Photo credit: Getty Images
Former president Donald Trump was acquitted by the Senate in his second impeachment trial. 57 senators voted to convict, including 48 Democrats, 7 Republicans and 2 Independents. The final count: 57-43.
The seven Republican senators who voted to convict include Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Richard Burr of North Carolina and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.
Trump was impeached by the House last month for incitement of an insurrection. House impeachment managers held that he incited the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, which took place when supporters of his who had gathered to protest the certification of President Joe Biden’s 2020 win breached the Capitol during the congressional vote. In total, five people died, including one Capitol police officer. In the following days, two other responding officers died by suicide. Many others were hurt.
Democrats relied on footage, both existing and never-before-seen, to make their case during the Senate trial. The clips showed officers being attacked by protesters and revealed how close rioters came to lawmakers, including Sen. Mitt Romney and former vice president Mike Pence.
Trump’s defense argued, among other things, that the Democrats manipulated their evidence and were engaging in “Constitutional cancel culture.” Conviction precludes an impeached president from seeking office again.
In February 2020, during Trump’s first impeachment trial, Senators voted 52-48 in favor of acquitting him of abuse of power and 53-47 in favor of acquitting him of obstruction of Congress. Romney was the only Republican to vote in favor of conviction at that time.
Source: Read Full Article