7 Republican senators vote to convict Trump on incitement charge

Former President Donald Trump has been let off for a second time, but it hasn’t come without a few former allies twisting the knife.

Former US President Donald Trump was acquitted Saturday in the Senate on the impeachment charge of inciting the January 6 Capitol riot despite seven Republican senators siding with Democrats to convict.

Senators Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania all voted against their former party leader.

The Republicans issued statements explaining their votes as Mr Trump’s historic second impeachment trial came to a close.

“Our Constitution and our country is more important than any one person. I voted to convict President Trump because he is guilty,” Senator Cassidy said.

“After careful consideration of the respective counsels’ arguments, I have concluded that President Trump is guilty of the charge made by the House of Representatives,” said Senator Romney, who also voted to convict Trump on a separate charge a year ago during the Ukraine impeachment.

"I do not make this decision lightly, but I believe it is necessary," Burr said. "By what he did and by what he did not do, President Trump violated his oath of office to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

"On election night 2014, I promised Nebraskans I’d always vote my conscience even if it was against the partisan stream," Sasse said, adding, "I cannot go back on my word, and Congress cannot lower our standards on such a grave matter, simply because it is politically convenient. I must vote to convict."

RELATED: Donald Trump acquitted in impeachment trial

Donald Trump has been acquitted for a second time.

A majority of senators found Trump guilty on Saturday in a 57-43 vote, but the number fell short of the supermajority needed to convict the president. Had Trump been convicted, the Senate would have moved to bar the 45th president from holding federal office ever again. Voting to convict Trump could cause political problems for Republicans.

Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney, for example, has faced backlash and calls to step down from her leadership position in the House over her vote to impeach Trump in the House last month.

Senator Romney posted his response on Twitter as fallout to the trial started to go global.

“President Trump attempted to corrupt the election by pressuring the Secretary of State of Georgia to falsify the election records in his state,” Romney said.

My statement on today’s impeachment vote: pic.twitter.com/Hfk8yqToPr

— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) February 13, 2021

There was speculation Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell would possibly join with those voting to convict the former president. But McConnell voted to acquit.

McConnell's vote had been closely watched since he's been very critical of Trump's role in inciting the January 6 riot, and his wife — former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao — resigned from the administration in the aftermath of the attack that killed at least five people, including a Capitol Police officer.

McConnell alerted colleagues of his decision Saturday morning via email before the Senate convened for what could have been the final day of Trump‘s trial for “incitement of insurrection.”

Conviction was always going to be an uphill climb for those opposed to the President, with 17 republican senators needing to join all 50 Democrats to meet the supermajority threshold.

MCCONNEL: ‘A DISGRACEFUL DERELICTION OF DUTY’

Mitch McConnell voted to acquit Trump before firing off at the former President.

Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who voted to acquit Donald Trump, has just delivered a long and withering speech condemning the former president's conduct as a "disgraceful dereliction of duty".

"January 6 was a disgrace. American citizens attacked their own government," Mr McConnell said on the floor of the Senate.

"They did this because they'd been fed wild falsehoods by the most powerful man on earth. Because he was angry he'd lost an election. Former president Trump's actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful, disgraceful dereliction of duty.

"The House accused the former president of 'incitement'. That is a specific term from the criminal law. Let me just put that aside for a moment, and reiterate something I said weeks ago.

"There's no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. No question about it. The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president.

"Having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy theories and reckless hyperbole which the defeated president kept shouting into the largest megaphone on the planet.”

- with Fox News