Search icon

News

06th Feb 2020

Donald Trump has been acquitted on both of his impeachment charges

Rebecca O'Keeffe

Donald Trump

The trial lasted two weeks.

The United States Senate has acquitted President Donald Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress following a two-week impeachment trial.

President Trump was cleared on the abuse of power charge by 52 votes to 48 and by 53 votes to 47 on the charge of obstruction of Congress.

However, this result is not a surprise.

Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate and a two-thirds majority is needed to remove a president from office.

So it was never really on the cards, unless members of Trump’s own party sided against him.

Republican Senator Mitt Romney of the state of Utah was the only Republican who voted to convict Mr Trump on abuse of power.

donald trump

Romney said President Trump was guilty of an “appalling abuse of public trust”.

“Corrupting an election to keep one’s self in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one’s oath of office that I can imagine,” he said.

“The president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust.”

Mr Romney said it was the “most difficult decision I have ever faced” and he expected he would come in for harsh criticism from fellow Republicans.

“I’m aware that there are people in my party … who will strenuously disapprove of my decision, and in some quarters I will be vehemently denounced,” he said.

He continued, citing his mormon faith as the reason for his decision.

“As a senator juror, I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice,” he said.

“With my vote, I will tell my children and their children that I did my duty to the best of my ability,” Mr Romney said.

Donald Trump was impeached by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives for withholding military aid to Ukraine to pressure an investigation into rival Joe Biden.