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Donald Trump Has Been Acquitted During Second Impeachment Trial

Donald Trump Has Been Acquitted During Second Impeachment Trial

Democrats failed to secure enough votes to convict the former US president

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

Donald Trump has been acquitted during his second impeachment trial after the Democrats failed to secure enough votes to convict him.

The final vote was 57-43, meaning that the Senate fell 10 votes short of convicting the former president of inciting the insurrection at the Capitol which resulted in five deaths.

PA

Every Democrat voted in favour of convicting Trump while seven Republicans joined them but it wasn't enough to find him guilty.

During the trial, Trump's lawyer, Michael Van der Veen, accused manager of 'fabricating evidence' and committing 'fraud' in its presentations.

He said: "In short, this impeachment has been a complete charade from beginning to end. The entire spectacle has been nothing but the unhinge pursuit of a long-standing political vendetta against Mr Trump by the opposition party."

The acquittal means that Trump will be eligible to run for presidency again in 2024 if he wants to.

PA

Days ago, the lead prosecutor in the impeachment trial broke down as he recounted the Capitol riots.

Jamie Raskin - whose son passed away weeks before the events that took place on 6 January - had to take a few breaks when he addressed the Senate as he concluded his remarks.

He explained how he had invited his daughter and son-in-law to the Capitol to witness what he expected would be the peaceful transfer of power between Trump and president-elect Joe Biden.

PA

Addressing the room, he said: "My son-in-law had never even been to the Capitol before. And when they were finally rescued over an hour later by Capitol officers, and we were together I hugged them and I apologised.

"And I told my daughter Tabitha who's 24 and a brilliant algebra teacher in Teach For America... now, I told her how sorry I was and I promised her that it would not be like this again the next time she came back to the Capitol with me."

He went on to add: "And you know what she said? She said 'Dad - I don't want to come back to the Capitol'."

He continued: "Of all the terrible, brutal things I saw and I heard on that day, and since then that one hit me the hardest. That and watching someone use an American flag pole, the flag still on it, to spear and pummel one of our police officers - ruthlessly, mercilessly, tortured by a pole with a flag on it that he was defending with his very life.

"People died that day. Officers ended up with head damage and brain damage, people's eyes were gouged, an officer had a heart attack. An officer lost three fingers that day. Two officers have taken their own lives."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, Donald Trump, Politics