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With Republican firewall, U.S. Senate acquits Trump of inciting deadly Capitol riot

Published 02/13/2021, 06:21 AM
Updated 02/13/2021, 11:36 PM
© Reuters. The U.S. Capitol Building on the thrid day of President Trump's impeachment trial in Washington, U.S.

© Reuters. The U.S. Capitol Building on the thrid day of President Trump's impeachment trial in Washington, U.S.

By Richard Cowan, David Morgan and Makini Brice

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate acquitted Donald Trump on Saturday of inciting the mob that stormed the Capitol last month, sparing him from conviction in his second impeachment trial in a year despite broad condemnation of his role in sparking the deadly siege.

The Senate voted 57-43 in favor of convicting the former president, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to do so, on a charge that he incited the insurrection that left five people dead, forced lawmakers to flee, and put his own vice president in danger while overseeing the certification of Democrat Joe Biden's election win.

GRAPHIC: Senate acquits Trump - https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-TRUMP/IMPEACHMENT/qzjpqgegjpx/index.html

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who voted "not guilty," in the trial, offered scathing remarks about Trump after the verdict.

"There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day," he said. "The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president."

President Joe Biden said that while the vote did not lead to a conviction, the substance of the charge was not in dispute, and a record number of Republicans had voted to convict Trump.

"This sad chapter in our history has reminded us that democracy is fragile," Biden said in a statement. "That it must always be defended. That we must be ever vigilant. That violence and extremism has no place in America. And that each of us has a duty and responsibility as Americans, and especially as leaders, to defend the truth and to defeat the lies."

In the vote, seven of the 50 Senate Republicans joined the chamber's unified Democrats in favoring conviction after a week-long trial in the same building ransacked by Trump's followers after they heard him deliver an incendiary speech on Jan. 6.

During the trial, senators viewed graphic video of the assault, including scenes of a police officer screaming in pain as he was crushed in a door, the mob chanting "hang Mike Pence" as it hunted the vice president, and lawmakers having near-misses with rioters as security officers hurried the elected officials into hiding for their own safety.

Trump left office on Jan. 20, so impeachment could not be used to remove him from power. But Democrats had hoped to secure a conviction to hold him responsible for the siege and set the stage for a vote to bar him from serving in public office again.

"The bottom line is that we convinced a big majority in the Senate of our case," said Representative Jamie Raskin, the lead Democratic prosecutor from the House of Representatives.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Republicans' refusal to hold Trump accountable would be remembered "as one of the darkest days and most dishonorable acts in our nation's history."

The swift end to the trial allows Biden to move forward with his agenda to bolster the economy with a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill and further confirmation of his cabinet members.

But divisions on Capitol Hill and around the country over his controversial predecessor will remain.

"This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country," Trump said in a statement after his acquittal.

Trump, 74, continues to hold a grip on his party with a right-wing populist appeal and "America First" message. The businessman-turned-politician has considered running for president again in 2024.

Republicans saved Trump in the Feb. 5, 2020, vote in his first impeachment trial, when only one senator from their ranks - Mitt Romney - voted to convict and remove him from office.

Romney voted for conviction on Saturday along with fellow Republicans Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Ben Sasse, Pat Toomey, and Lisa Murkowski.

"His actions to interfere with the peaceful transition of power – the hallmark of our Constitution and our American democracy – were an abuse of power and constitute grounds for conviction," Collins said after the vote.

DEEPLY DIVIDED NATION

The acquittal unfolded against a backdrop of gaping divisions in a pandemic-weary United States along political, racial, socioeconomic and regional lines. The trial provided more partisan warfare even as Biden has called for unity.

Seventy-one percent of American adults, including nearly half of all Republicans, believe Trump was at least partially responsible for starting the Capitol assault, but only about half of the country thought he should be convicted of inciting insurrection, according to an Ipsos poll conducted for Reuters.

Trump is only the third president ever to be impeached by the House of Representatives - a step akin to a criminal indictment - as well as the first to be impeached twice and the first to face an impeachment trial after leaving office. But the Senate still has never convicted an impeached president.

Democrats forged ahead with impeachment despite knowing it could overshadow critical early weeks of Biden's presidency.

The House approved the single article of impeachment against Trump on Jan. 13, with 10 Republicans joining the chamber's Democratic majority. That vote came a week after the pro-Trump mob stormed the neoclassical domed Capitol, interrupted the formal congressional certification of Biden's victory, clashed with an overwhelmed police force, and invaded the hallowed House and Senate chambers.

'FIGHT LIKE HELL'

Shortly before the rampage, Trump urged his followers to march on the Capitol, repeated his false claims that the election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud, and told them that "if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore."

During the trial, nine House lawmakers serving as trial managers, or prosecutors, urged senators to convict Trump to hold him accountable for a crime against American democracy and to prevent a repeat in the future. They said Trump summoned the mob to Washington, gave the crowd its marching orders and then did nothing to stop the ensuing violence.

The defense lawyers accused Democrats not only of trying to silence Trump as a political opponent they feared facing in the future but of attempting to criminalize political speech with which they disagreed.

The words Trump used, they argued, were no different than those regularly employed by Democrats.

Trump's acquittal does not end the possibility of other congressional action against him such as a censure motion, but Pelosi said such a measure would let Republicans who voted against conviction "off the hook."

© Reuters. Impeachment trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump continues in Washington

McConnell said Trump was now a private citizen and suggested he could still face criminal prosecution for his acts. "He didn't get away with anything. Yet," McConnell said.

Latest comments

Trump will always be known as the coward that his while his mob attacked out capital
With “firewall” of Americans who passed civics class in high school, Trump was rightfully acquitted of illegal charges that he doesn’t have the right to claim an election was stolen and scream it to the heavens.. or to use the word “fight” in a political speech. Just can’t make this stuff up.
Trump: An AngloSaxon Found Absolved Of Crime IN AMERICAN POLITICS....What else is new?
racist much?
Republican cowardice
McConnell: ‘Trump is still liable for everything he did’
TRUMP 2024
Hows the weather in russia?
Left or Right, you can clearly see this government is worthless.
Right. The term itself tells the story: govern = direct, rule; ment = mind. ... and that is mainly what any goverment is doing: drives our minds along their desired direction or narratives.
NOT guilty! 🥳🥳🥳
Lol. Dream in princess
More waste from the democratic party.
Trump is no longer in White House. There are a LOT of things more important to discuss/solve yet they chose this unimportant topic. What a typical politician. Always doing unimportant or unnecessary matter first.
How is the attack on our US capital "unimportant"?
u mean lives don't matter!‽
 same way the deadly attacks by antifa and blm mobs weren't important all year long.. duh!
Please start to govern the country and stop blaming
 whatever, dunce
 That is not accrurate. A woman died from being shot by police, the other 6 died either from medical issues or unknown causes.
 same decency call girl harris had for the hundreds of antifa and blm victims she cheered about all year? okay.. sure.
Republicans will take the House and more likely the Senate next year. Should be a lot of large Trump rallies until next years midterms.
Steve, if the election was stolen, and the democrats got away with it, wht makes you think they will lose ever again? They have the power and the media behind them...:
God lets hope not. The last time they were in control they lead an attack on our capital
"President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office as an ordinary citizen," Mitch McConnell said. "He didn't get away with anything.  Donalds days are numbered, just ask all the people awaiting trial for following the *****
After all three things are clear:Dems cannot strategized clearly an idea how to get rid of 45 (he'll play the martir). Second, the autocratic faction is not anymore à faction is majority in Reps. Third, is the ratification of my long stand about the republic decadence with paper institutions. Get ready, the next wave will be terrible. 46 cannot stop it, because 45 is not only him is a creation from both parties. God save us.
Which one you from? China, Russia, North Korea?
Shut these comments down before they are infected with the same hate that lead to the attack on the US capital.
You are proof people aren't grown up enough for real conversations.
ant-boy, are you going to need a tissue?
This was never going to happen, becaus then all the Dems politicians that incited and inflamed the Antifa/BLM that without question killed more innocent lives and caused far more damage would be on the chopping block. Again, another complete waste of time and attention, while they sign executive order after executive order that none of you realize how much it will harm the US and it's future generations to come. Good job on being duped, yet again.
Biden is next.
Trump  questionably immoral,  but certainly out almost exclusively for  #1!.
Two time impeachment champion!
Oh well he won't ever run again!! If he does what a laughing stock
Everyone please petition Investing.com before it becomes the next cess pool of degenerates who were kicked out of yahoo and twitter.
Ask them to shut it down.
LOL
"President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office as an ordinary citizen," Mitch McConnell said. "He didn't get away with anything."
The democratics will not get away with the election fraud because you reap what you sow.
Everyone below. Grow up. You know what Trump did was wrong. Period.
C'mon man:) Can you just shut your yap? If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Are you some lie-beral bot or something. You are everywhere. Hit the road jack............
Biden declared this election was the biggest election fraud ever perpetrated in the history of the US.  Then the democratics in the house “impeached” Trump so apparently they know Trump is the true President because constitutionally you cannot impeach a “former” office holder. The entire house democratics should be impeached for usurping the constitution of the United States by “impeaching” a “non-office” holder, for the Supreme Court justice not presiding over the “impeachment” hearing and for not allowing evidence by eyewitnesses and whistleblowers of election fraud to present their testimony. Congratulations President Trump on your 2nd term
Nonsense
Bruce, please educate yourself. He was only tried after he left office, but he was impeached while still in office. The House impeaches (not the Senate). The Senate holds the resulting trial. There was nothing unconstitutional about it, and the Senate even voted on it.
I think the dems went into this knowing the outcome but just wanted it to be known in the history books they felt trump was responsible
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