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.
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