Trump acquitted for the second time
Historic Senate trial finds former president "not guilty"
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Senate has acquitted former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial Saturday, voting that Trump was not guilty of inciting the deadly January 6 riots at the Capitol.
Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva highlighted “People died, numerous were injured, and the American public watched it all unfold on live television. Conviction should not have been a partisan issue, and I’m grateful for the seven Republican Senators who voted to uphold their own oath of office and convict the President for his crimes.
Senators voted 57-43 to acquit former President Donald Trump of inciting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Seven Republicans joined all 50 Democrats in voting to convict the president. 67 votes were needed to fulfill the conviction.
"What is at stake today is the future of our democracy and whether we will be a country that fiercely protects democracy, or let it slip away to claims of party loyalty, " expressed Sen. Krysten Sinema. "May we all be loyal to our Constitution, rather than a political party or a person - because we must rebuild Americans' faith in our democracy and our trust in each other."
The move to the trial's finishing stages was a final twist after the House managers' surprise request for witnesses had appeared to extend the trial indefinitely. The Senate voted 55 to 45 to consider witnesses -- with five Republican joining Democrats -- after the managers said they wanted to hear from Rep.
“I listened to the testimony during this trial closely and considered the case put forward by the House Managers and the defense," Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly shared. “As a Navy veteran and Senator, I’ve taken an oath to uphold the constitution. It was our duty to conduct this trial and make it clear that an attack on our democracy cannot stand. Now, it is our duty to continue the work of addressing the significant challenges we face by beating this virus and rebuilding our economy.”
Jaime Herrera Beutler, a Washington Republican who had told CNN new details about House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's phone call with Trump. But after several hours of intense negotiations between Senate leaders, the managers and Trump's legal team, the managers agreed to enter Herrera Beutler's statement into the trial record as evidence and move forward without hearing from witnesses.
