Trump acquitted again

WASHINGTON: Former president Donald Trump was acquitted 57:43 in his historic second impeachment trial by the US Senate on one article of impeachment for inciting the Capitol riot.

Besides, 50 Democrats, seven Republicans also voted to convict, fewer than the 17 needed to complete a two thirds majority needed for conviction.

The seven Republicans who voted to convict the former President included Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Pat Toomey.

It followed a day full of surprise and confusion after a motion to seek witnesses passed. The Senate then went into a break to discuss how to move forward.

Earlier on Saturday, the US Senate heard closing arguments in Trump´s impeachment trial after Democrats reversed their call for witnesses, avoiding a potentially lengthy delay. Before moving to final arguments, the proceedings were interrupted for a few hours when House impeachment managers, in a surprise move, said they wanted to call witnesses at the trial.

Lead manager Jamie Raskin, a Democratic congressman, said he wanted to call a Republican lawmaker as a witness but eventually agreed with Trump´s defense lawyers just to have a statement of hers entered into evidence.

Trump´s lawyers had threatened in response to call Vice President Kamala Harris, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and others in a process that could have prolonged the trial for days if not weeks.

Raskin had wanted Representative Jamie Herrera Beutler, a Republican who voted to impeach Trump last month, to testify after she released a statement about a notable exchange on January 6. In her statement entered into the record, she said Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy had made a frantic call to Trump while the attack was ongoing and implored him to call off the rioters.

Instead Trump falsely blamed other groups, not his own supporters, for breaching the Capitol, Herrera Beutler said.