The Senate is expected to acquit President Donald Trump on Wednesday as the impeachment trial comes to an end around 4 PM ET. The articles of impeachment charged Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Stay tuned to Breitbart News for live updates. All times eastern.
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4:32 PM: Trump acquitted (“not guilty as charged”) 53-47 on the second article.
RNC Chair McDaniel: “Today’s vote to acquit President Trump ends the latest political witch hunt, a dark moment in our nation’s history, that wasted millions of taxpayer dollars. Once again, Democrats have failed in their quest to erase the votes of 63 million Americans and destroy a duly-elected President. The American people won today, but they will not forget the division that Democrats brought upon our country for three years. This November, voters will hold Democrats accountable at the ballot box and vote to re-elect President Trump and Republicans across the board.”
4:20 PM: Trump acquitted 52-48 (“not guilty as charged”), with Romney joining the Democrats, on the first article. Clerk now reading the second article.
4:05 PM: Senate now voting on articles of impeachment. Clerk reading the first article (abuse of power).
3:57 PM: Manchin, Sinema will vote to remove.
Manchin will vote for both counts
This means that the vote will 52-48 with only Mitt Romney breaking ranks
“For the reasons above I must vote yes on the articles of impeachment,” Manchin said in statement
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 5, 2020
Voting whether or not to remove a sitting President has been a truly difficult decision, and after listening to the arguments presented by both sides, I have reached my conclusion reluctantly. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/yIgy6Qf5JZ
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) February 5, 2020
— Kyrsten Sinema (@SenatorSinema) February 5, 2020
3:50 PM: McConnell says the Senate will reject this “incoherent case” that comes nowhere near to justifying the first removal of a president. He says this partisan impeachment will end today. He hopes this is the day the “partisan fever” begins to break.
3:45 PM: Schumer railing against the “sham” trial in the “kangaroo court” and says Trump will have an “asterisk” by his name in permanent ink. He calls Trump a “menace.”
3:35 PM: Graham also rips the “souvenir pens of shame.”
In remarks to Senate before vote this afternoon on the Articles of Impeachment, @LindseyGrahamSC says Pres Trump will be acquitted in about 2 hrs, and exoneration comes when he’s reelected, because the American people “are fed up with this crap.” pic.twitter.com/zcqQK8Zq9w
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) February 5, 2020
3:10 PM: Dems on Senate floor were getting emotional during Romney’s speech:
When Romney announced he would vote to convict Trump Sen. Schatz appeared to be crying. Why? “Because we all need to believe that this place can work, and this place can only work if individuals occasionally put country above party. And Mitt Romney just did that.” @julietsirkin
— Chris Jansing (@ChrisJansing) February 5, 2020
When Romney was speaking, the Senate chamber was empty… except for three DemocratsL Sens Murphy, Leahy, and Schatz, who appeared to get emotional during Romney’s remarks, per @julietsirkin
— Shannon Pettypiece (@spettypi) February 5, 2020
Thank you, Mitt. You have restored my faith in the Senate and the idea that putting country over party is still possible.
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) February 5, 2020
Senator Romney reminds us that it is not impossible to do the right thing, it’s just hard. That putting country over party isn’t just a slogan, it’s our solemn obligation. That individuals who have courage and conviction can change history, and have an obligation to try.
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) February 5, 2020
3:08 PM:
In explaining his vote to convict Trump, Romney cites the @LDSchurch belief that the Constitution is divinely inspired.
Two of Trump’s toughest GOP critics, Romney and Jeff Flake, are both Mormons. That is not a coincidence. pic.twitter.com/mIouTxOcfm
— Daniel Burke (@BurkeCNN) February 5, 2020
I have long admired Mitt Romney, but never more than today. What an honorable man. https://t.co/58oKqXNg81
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) February 5, 2020
3:07 PM: Dems and media mocked GOP for claiming “bipartisan” opposition to impeachment in House. Now:
It’s a bipartisan impeachment.
— Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) February 5, 2020
3:05 PM: Don Jr.
Mitt Romney is forever bitter that he will never be POTUS. He was too weak to beat the Democrats then so he’s joining them now.
He’s now officially a member of the resistance & should be expelled from the @GOP.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 5, 2020
3:00 PM:
This is not the first time I have disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last.
The bottom line is President Trump did nothing wrong, and the Republican Party is more united than ever behind him.
I, along with the @GOP, stand with President Trump.
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) February 5, 2020
2:55 PM: Fox News roll out:
Romney, in a pre-taped Fox News interview, is talking about the blow-back he expects to face from Trump and his allies for his conviction vote — not just for him, but for his “wife, sons, daughters-in-law and my 24 grand kids.” Romney calls it a “substantial burden.”
— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) February 5, 2020
2:50 PM: More praise for Willard:
Thank you Senator Romney.
It’s not just a vote. Mitt Romney’s concise explanation of why impeached Donald Trump must be removed from office is grounded in the truth, the facts and the law.#TheResistance salutes you. pic.twitter.com/Fm5wNttlbv
— Democratic Coalition (@TheDemCoalition) February 5, 2020
Thank you, @SenatorRomney, for upholding your oath to support and defend the Constitution. You will never regret putting your faith in God and doing right according to the law and your conscience.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) February 5, 2020
Thank you for doing what’s right, @MittRomney. History will remember you as a decent, courageous, man among cowards and fools. pic.twitter.com/YPQkDTex1p
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) February 5, 2020
Thank you @MittRomney for rising to this moment, for choosing to vote your conscience, and for doing what you know in your heart to be right.
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 5, 2020
2:45 PM: White House cancels pool spray:
Meanwhile, at the White House, President Trump no longer wants to interact with reporters this hour. The WH abruptly cancelled a planned pool spray between Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader Guaido moments after Romney began announcing his intent to vote to remove Trump.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) February 5, 2020
2:35 PM: Schiff praises Romney after speaking directly to him on the Senate floor for a week to think about what historians will write about the Senators.
Having proven Trump guilty, I asked if there was just one Republican Senator who would say “enough”
Who would stand up against this dangerously immoral president
Who would display moral courage
Who would do impartial justice as their oath required and convict
And there is. https://t.co/xNHi2CP6oF
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) February 5, 2020
2:30 PM: Romney compared to McCain:
History will remember Mitt Romney well for his vote today. Just like we remember John McCain for his thumbs down to save Obamacare. History will only remember the rest of the Republicans as being complicit in a Trump cover up and betraying their country and duties.
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) February 5, 2020
I suspect that John McCain would be immensely proud of Mitt Romney today, and beyond appalled at Lindsey Graham.
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) February 5, 2020
The two biggest rebukes that Trump has received from Capitol Hill Republicans have come from his party’s presidential nominees in 2008 (McCain on health care) and 2012 (Romney just now)
— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) February 5, 2020
2:15 PM: Romney will be first Senator in history to vote to remove a president of own party (convict on abuse of power and acquit on obstruction of Congress).
No senator has voted to convict a president of their own party in an impeachment trial in U.S. history.
Now the 2012 GOP presidential nominee is going to vote to convict the party’s 2016 nominee
— Steven Lemongello (@SteveLemongello) February 5, 2020
2:14 PM: Washington Post: Romney “sealed a place in history.”
Breaking: “Sen. Mitt Romney sealed a place in history Wednesday with his announcement that he will to vote to convict President Trump of abuse of power, becoming a rare lone voice in a Republican Party that otherwise has marched in lockstep.” @danbalz https://t.co/dPrbo0guH0
— Robert Costa (@costareports) February 5, 2020
2:13 PM: Never Trumpers/Left immediately praise Romney: “Profile in courage.”
Mitt. 💪👏👍
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) February 5, 2020
Mitt Romney just did something no other Republican in Congress has done: He put defending our Constitution over defending Donald Trump. He is voting to convict Trump. This was truly a profile in courage. He knows he will be demonized by Trump and Fox News etc. This is patriotism
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) February 5, 2020
I am genuinely shocked at Romney’s announcement.
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) February 5, 2020
Real historical moment happening now from @MittRomney. This is Profile in Courage territory.
— Mike Signer (@MikeSigner) February 5, 2020
Mitt Romney’s profile in courage.
Read @Peter_Wehner https://t.co/45ii3rrN45— Yoni Appelbaum (@YAppelbaum) February 5, 2020
Dear @MittRomney, thank you. You are a real profile in courage. It is too bad your @GOP colleagues will not, cannot follow your example because of their fear of @realDonaldTrump & their priority of putting party over country, & lack of spine.
— Maria Cardona (@MariaTCardona) February 5, 2020
Another profile in courage. Thank you @SenatorRomney.
— Jennifer Granholm (@JenGranholm) February 5, 2020
I sat silently across the chamber, listening to my friend give one of the most important speeches I have ever had the good fortune to hear in person.
At a time when many wonder what honor is left in public life, there stands Mitt Romney.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 5, 2020
Impeachment is bipartisan. This took some real political courage from Romney https://t.co/xq9pZ3dbwN
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) February 5, 2020
With this vote, @MittRomney has guaranteed himself a terrible storm in the near term, but a permanent place in history as a true profile in courage. Great respect. https://t.co/v0UWRyxIN1
— Paul Begala (@PaulBegala) February 5, 2020
2:07 PM: The Democrats who spoke about “history” and what future historians will write about the Senators got to Romney. He said voting against his conscience would expose his character to “history’s rebuke” and “censure” of his own conscience. He says with his vote, he can tell his children and grandchildren that he did his duty to the best of his ability. He said history will look at him as one of the Senators who determined that what Trump did was “grievously wrong.”
ROMNEY: “Were I to ignore the evidence that has been presented & disregard what I believe my oath & the constitution demands of me for the sake of a partisan end, it would, I fear, expose my character to history’s rebuke & the censor of my own conscience.” pic.twitter.com/psdRhPTbWr
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 5, 2020
2:05 PM: Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) choking up on the Senate floor hours before the Senate votes. Romney says Trump is guilty of an “appalling abuse of public trust.” He says he has received numerous calls and texts to “stand with the team” in the last few weeks. He says his promise before God required him to put his personal feelings and biases aside. Romney says he is ready to hear abuse from Trump and his supporters.
“The grave question the Constitution tasks Senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor.
Yes, he did.” —@MittRomney pic.twitter.com/lnIBEQj6rs
— CAP Action (@CAPAction) February 5, 2020
“The people will judge us for how well and faithfully we perform our duty,” Romney says. The question is now whether he committed high crimes and misdemeanors. “Yes he did. The president asked a foreign government to investigate a political rival.”
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) February 5, 2020
WOW: Romney is getting chocked up as he says he takes his faith very seriously and did take an oath to God in this trial. He says it’s the “most difficult decision” he’s had to make.
— Jason Calvi (@JasonCalvi) February 5, 2020
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