Impeachment trial – Trump acquitted of inciting Capitol attack despite 7 Republicans voting to convict
All the news from Congress, the White House and Mar-a-Lago on the final day of the second Trump impeachment
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has been acquitted of inciting insurrection leading to the violent storming of the US Capitol on 6 January.
Mr Trump was not convicted despite seven Republicans joining 50 Democrats in voting ‘guilty’. A further 10 votes were needed to convict as a two-thirds majority of 67 is required under the Constitution.
The former president released a celebratory statement thanking his supporters and teasing a continuation of his MAGA movement. Meanwhile, he was eviscerated in speeches on the Senate floor by both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who noted that Mr Trump could still face criminal or civil charges.
In a dramatic morning at the Capitol, the Senate initially voted to allow witnesses in Mr Trump’s impeachment trial in a “game-changing” move that threw proceedings into chaos. Frantic negotiations brought the trial back on track — without witnesses — and it is again expected to wrap up today.
The Trump defence team was seemingly caught off guard by the move by Democrat House managers who specifically requested Republican congresswoman Jamie Herrera Beutler be called to testify. Republicans threatened to call more than 300 witnesses in retaliation for the move.
The motion to have witnesses testify passed 55-45 on Saturday morning, with a handful of Republican lawmakers, including Lindsey Graham, siding with Democrats.
Ms Beutler’s testimony — an account of a chilling conversation between House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and Mr Trump during the assault on the US Capitol in which the president reportedly refused to call off rioters loyal to him — was instead read into the record.
Key stories:
Trump lawyer Michael Van der Veen demands in-person depositions at his office
Ahead of the vote on witnesses, Trump defence lawyer Michael Van der Veen said that he would need to depose as many as one hundred witnesses — including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris — saying that it would have to be in person at his office in Philadelphia, not via Zoom.
There was audible laughter from senators, which Mr Van der Veen did not appreciate.
Earlier Mr Van der Veen appeared to get angry to the point he needed to take his own advice and cool down for a moment.
GOP senators sniping at each other on floor of chamber
Republican senators are sniping at each other on the floor of the Senate according to Fox News Capitol Hill reporter Jason Donner.
Voices were raised, with Senator Ron Johnson reportedly telling Senator Mitt Romney that he blamed him for the trial not being over today.
Senator Dan Sullivan sits between the two on the floor of the chamber.
Trial moves into new territory
While we began today with a fairly good idea of how things would unfold in the Senate, things have been thrown into disarray by the call for witnesses.
The Senate now needs to pass a resolution laying out a format for the remainder of the trial. Currently, senators are negotiating what that format might be.
On the floor of the chamber, there are multiple groups of senators from both parties in deep conversation, and a group of key Republican senators is said to be in discussion in the whip’s office.
While Mr Trump’s defence lawyer Michael Van der Veen said he would like to call hundreds of witnesses, that is up to the Senate when they agree on the format.
It seems that everyone expected the trial to wrap up today, and now they are having to work without a script.
‘This is a bogus hail mary’
Republican senator for Kansas Roger Marshall says that the move by the House Managers to call witnesses is a ‘bogus hail mary’ pass, stating that if Democrats want witnesses they should call Nancy Pelosi herself.
“It’s time to end this sham”.
Trump team claim 301 witnesses ‘so far’ on wish list
Trump’s team says that they have a list of more than 300 witnesses signalling that they are willing to drag this out if needed.
Jason Miller, adviser to Donald Trump, is walking around the Capitol with a witness list of 301 people “so far”.
In a photo posted on Twitter, the list appears to include: Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer, Ted Lieu, Joaquin Castro, Mazie Hirono, Elizabeth Warren, Ayanna Pressley, and Maxine Waters.
Senators also laughed at defence team’s video
Senators laughed out loud at a video played in defense of Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial, according to reports.
The former president’s lawyers played the selectively-edited clips on Friday in the Senate, in an attempt to equate the language that Mr Trump used in his speech on 6 January before the Capitol riot to that of Democrats.
Mr Trump’s lawyers, who have faced criticism throughout the trial for their “rambling” arguments, played a tape of around a dozen Democrats using the word “fight”.
Louise Hall reports.
Senators laughed at video played in Trump’s defense during impeachment trial, reports say
The former president’s lawyers played a compilation tape of Democrat senators using the word ‘fight’
Ted Cruz expects 55 will vote to convict - not the 67 needed
Trump loyalist Senator Ted Cruz told reporters that he believes eventually 55 senators will vote to convict Donald Trump “plus or minus two” — not the 67 needed. He blames “leftist Twitter” for the demands for witnesses.
He said that if the House managers call Jamie Herrera Beutler as a witness, then he believes the Trump defence will call Nancy Pelosi as a witness too. He believes that Speaker Pelosi is partly responsible for the attack on the Capitol by pro-Trump rioters.
Video: Ted Cruz speaker with reporters
Marjorie Taylor Greene hits out at Jamie Herrera Beutler
So-called QAnon congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has hit out at fellow Republican congresswoman Jamie Herrera Beutler for speaking out about the conversation between Kevin McCarthy and Donald Trump in which the president reportedly refused to call off his supporters as they attacked the US Capitol.
Ms Greene appears to threaten possible action against Ms Beutler by the 75 million people who voted for Mr Trump.
‘Well, Kevin, I guess they’re just more upset about this election theft than you are’
The impeachment trial of Donald Trump has been thrown into chaos after Republican congresswoman Jamie Herrera Beutler confirmed she was told of an expletive-filled telephone conversation between a top GOP official as he urged the former president to call off the rioters - even as they swept into the US Capitol. She said it was “chilling”.
Andrew Buncombe reports for The Independent.
The ‘chilling’ expletive-laden phone call that threw Trump impeachment trial into chaos
‘Well, Kevin, I guess they’re just more upset about this election theft than you are’
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