PoliticoUS Senate acquits Donald Trump of inciting deadly Capitol attack, as impeachment trial concludes
- By a vote of 57-43, with no two-thirds majority, the Senate acquitted the former president for the January 6 violence at the US Capitol
- The vote highlights Trump’s continued grip on the Republican Party, even after he left office under the cloud of the insurrection claims
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Kyle Cheney and Andrew Desiderio on politico.com on February 13, 2021.
The verdict was long foreshadowed by Senate Republicans, who said they were unmoved by the House managers’ central argument that Trump’s months-long campaign to subvert the election results, as well as his incendiary remarks to a January 6 crowd, sparked the violent riots.
But the 57-43 vote marked the first time since 1868 that a majority of the Senate voted to convict a president on an impeachment charge. And the seven Republicans who broke ranks are the most to support the conviction of a president from their own party.
The evidence is compelling that President Trump is guilty of inciting an insurrection
“The facts are clear,” said Republican Senator Richard Burr. “The evidence is compelling that President Trump is guilty of inciting an insurrection against a coequal branch of government and that the charge rises to the level of high Crimes and Misdemeanours. Therefore, I have voted to convict.”
The vote highlights Trump’s continued grip on the Republican Party, even after he left office under the cloud of the insurrection and false claims that the election was “stolen” from him. The GOP lawmakers who supported impeachment and conviction in the House and Senate have already faced sharp backlash from constituents and local GOP organisations, further underscoring Trump’s hold on the party.