Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) will vote to convict President Trump for abuse of power in the Senate impeachment trial.
Why it matters: Romney is the only Republican senator to break ranks and vote to remove Trump from office, though the president is still expected to be acquitted later today.
- Romney was Democrats last chance for a bipartisan conviction vote, after Sen. Susan Collins (R-Utah) announced earlier Tuesday that she will vote to acquit the president.
- Romney and Collins were the only two Republican senators that voted last week to allow witnesses and documents in the trial — a call that otherwise failed along party lines.
Between the lines: The decision is sure to infuriate Trump, who has faced off against Romney several times in the past over the senator's criticisms of his conduct. Even if Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) vote to acquit Trump, he will not be able to tout a bipartisan acquittal without the context that there was a bipartisan call to remove him from office.
What they're saying:
- "The president delayed funds for an American ally at war with Russian invaders," Romney said in a speech on the Senate floor. "The president's purpose was personal and political. Accordingly the president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust."
- Romney also acknowledged the potential political backlash from his decision, stating: "Does anyone seriously believe that I would consent to these consequences other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before god demanded it of me?"
This story is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
