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Republicans Signal They'll Acquit Donald Trump In Second Impeachment Trial

Republicans Signal They'll Acquit Donald Trump In Second Impeachment Trial

If all Democrats vote to convict Trump they will need 17 Republican senators to join them

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

Republican Senate leaders are positive former President Donald Trump won't be at risk of conviction during his second impeachment trial, which is set to begin next month.

On Tuesday (26 January), in a vote on Senator Rand Paul's objection that an impeachment trial would be unconstitutional against a President no longer in office, all but five of the 50 Republicans backed 74-year-old Trump.

This means he's unlikely to be convicted for inciting the violent riots which took place on 6 January.

Riots on 6 January.
PA

Indicating an acquittal, Rand Paul told Fox News on Tuesday night that the vote showed the trial 'is dead on arrival'.

He went on: "There will be a show, there will be a parade of partisanship, but the Democrats really will not be able to win. This shows they don't have the votes to win."

GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas agreed that he 'can't see' a conviction happening, which would require 67 votes.

According to NTD, even if all Democrats vote to convict Trump, they'd need 17 Republican senators to join them, or Trump will be acquitted for a second time, with Sen. John Boozman telling reporters: "I can't see how you get 17. I think that that was a test vote."

PA

When Sen. Cornyn was asked whether Trump's actions leading up to the riots were defensible, he said: "I'm not going to defend them... I think he's been held accountable in the court of public opinion already."

He also went on to add that former Democratic Presidents could find themselves being impeached and potentially prosecuted.

Responding to a tweet from Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Cornyn wrote: "If it is a good idea to impeach and try former presidents, what about former Democratic presidents when Republicans get the majority in 2022? Think about it and let's do what is best for country."

Trump and wife, Melania.
PA

Trump's trial is set to take place next month - if convicted, he could be barred from holding office again.

The former POTUS has strongly denied that his speech on 6 January, just hours before the riots, influenced those who took part.

On 6 January, Trump told his supporters: "We're going to walk down to the Capitol, and we're going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women, and we're probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them, because you'll never take back our country with weakness."Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, Donald Trump, Politics