Donald Trump acquitted as impeachment trial ends

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Nick Allen
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Donald Trump in February 2020 after his acquittal at his first trial - Oliver Contreras/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Donald Trump in February 2020 after his acquittal at his first trial - Oliver Contreras/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Donald Trump was acquitted on Saturday night of inciting insurrection at the end of his second impeachment trial.

A two-thirds majority of the 100 US senators - 67 - was required for a conviction, and Democrats fell short of reaching that bar. In total, 57 senators voted to convict, and 43 voted not guilty.

The court formally acquitted Mr Trump over his actions on January 6, when he told supporters to "fight like hell" before the US Capitol was invaded by a marauding mob.

Mr Trump welcomed the verdict and said the trial had been "yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country".

He accused Democrats of being motivated by "political vengeance" to "persecute, blacklist, cancel and suppress all people and viewpoints with whom or which they disagree".

The former president added: "Our patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun."

All 50 Democrat senators voted to convict.

They were joined by seven of the 50 Republicans including Mitt Romney, the Utah senator.

McConnell changes tune over 'morally responsible' Trump

Hours before the verdict Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, told colleagues he intended to acquit, which may have influenced some of them.

Mr McConnell said it was a "close call" but he believed the Senate did not have jurisdiction to try Mr Trump because he is now a private citizen.

However, moments after the verdict, Mr McConnell addressed the chamber.

He spent 20 minutes lambasting Mr Trump as "practically and morally responsible" for the riot, accusing him of shouting conspiracy theories "into the largest megaphone on planet Earth".

He said: "January 6 was a disgrace. They did this because they had been fed wild falsehoods by the most powerful man on Earth. Because he was angry he lost an election.

"Former President Trump's actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful, disgraceful dereliction of duty."

Trump 'didn't get away with anything yet'

Mr McConnell added that Mr Trump could still be prosecuted, as a private citizen, for any criminal misconduct in office. The Republican leader said: "He's still liable for everything he did in office. Didn't get away with anything yet."

Chuck Schumer, the Democrat leader in the Senate, said: "January 6 will live as a day of infamy in history. The failure to convict Donald Trump will live as a vote of infamy. Justice was not done.

"This was about choosing country over Donald Trump, and 43 Republicans chose Trump. It will weigh on their conscience."

Earlier, closing the defence's case after a swift five-day trial, Mr Trump's lawyer Michael van der Veen said the riot was a "grave tragedy" and a "heinous act on the home of American democracy".

He said Mr Trump was "deeply disturbed" by graphic videos shown of violence at the trial.

But he said Mr Trump was innocent and the victim of a "maniacal crusade" against him by Democrats.

Analysis: Trump will use his acquittal to relaunch political warfare

He said: "This impeachment has been a complete sham from beginning to end. The entire spectacle has been an unhinged pursuit of a long standing political vendetta.

"Democrats were obsessed with impeaching Mr Trump. Now, they have conducted a phoney impeachment show trial when he is a private citizen out of office."

He said it was a "circus" and Democrats had been "possessed by an overwhelming zeal to vanquish" Mr Trump, and had tried to "shame, demean silence and demonise" his supporters so he could never be elected again.

Mr van der Veen said Mr Trump's comments telling his supporters to "fight" were protected free speech under the First Amendment.

Attorney Michael van der Veen, right, one of Donald Trump's impeachment defence attorneys, fist bumps after the acquittal vote while departing the United States Capitol - USA TODAY Network 
Attorney Michael van der Veen, right, one of Donald Trump's impeachment defence attorneys, fist bumps after the acquittal vote while departing the United States Capitol - USA TODAY Network

In their closing argument prosecutors appealed to Republican senators to abandon Mr Trump.

Madeleine Dean, a prosecutor, said: "The mob were just steps away from all of us. The death toll could have been much higher.

"We are in a dialogue with history. Two-hundred years from now no one person among us may be remembered but what we do here will be remembered. I ask that you not look the other way."

READ MORE: Trump allies ready to wreak their revenge

The last-minute twist

Shortly before the verdict there was a last-minute twist to proceedings.

A Republican congresswoman publicly gave details of a phone call, in which she claimed Mr Trump sided with the mob during the riot.

Jaime Herrera Beutler claimed that Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader in the House of Representatives, had relayed to her an account of a call he had with Mr Trump while the attack was going on.

She said: "When McCarthy finally reached the president on January 6 and asked him to publicly and forcefully call off the riot, the president initially repeated the falsehood that it was Antifa that had breached the Capitol. McCarthy refuted that and told the president that these were Trump supporters.

"That’s when, according to McCarthy, the president said: 'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are'."

Prosecutors said it showed Mr Trump had "sided with the insurrectionists" and "supported the actions of the mob".

But they decided not to call the congresswoman as a witness after Mr Trump's legal team threatened an attempt to call hundreds of people, including Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi, as witnesses.

Following the verdict Mr van der Veen, who conducted the bulk of Mr Trump's defence, fist-bumped a colleague and said: "We're going to Disney World!"

Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat House Speaker, called Republican senators who voted to acquit "cowardly".

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