The Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump on two articles of impeachment Wednesday, marking the inevitable and historic end to a bitterly fought, divisive impeachment trial that will reverberate into the 2020 election and shape Trump’s presidential legacy.
But the final day of the Senate’s impeachment trial was not without suspense: Sen. Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican, found the President guilty of abuse of power, becoming the first senator in US history to vote to remove from office a president from the same party.
The third Senate impeachment trial of a sitting president in US history concluded Wednesday afternoon with votes finding the President not guilty of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, the impeachment articles the House charged Trump with in December. Romney was the sole Republican to vote to convict the President on the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, joining with all Senate Democrats in a 52-48 not guilty vote. Romney voted with Republicans against the obstruction of Congress charge, which fell along straight party lines, 53-47 for acquittal.
Mitt Romney finally drew a line in the sand against Donald Trump
Senate Television via AP
The easy thing for Mitt Romney to do would have been to side with the rest of his Republican colleagues and vote to acquit President Donald Trump on the two articles of impeachment against him.
Sure, it would have earned him the disapproval of liberals on Twitter. And a few op-eds might condemn him. But a vote to acquit would have minimal actual political consequences for Romney.
Which makes it all the more remarkable that Romney announced, in a stirring and emotional speech on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon, that he would break with his party and vote to convict Trump on abuse of power — a genuinely stunning moment in a process in which the ultimate outcome (a Trump acquittal) has long been known.
Romney acknowledged that he was purposely choosing the harder path in choosing the way he did. As he put it:
“I am aware that there are people in my party and in my state who will strenuously disapprove of my decision, and in some quarters, I will be vehemently denounced. I am sure to hear abuse from the President and his supporters. Does anyone seriously believe I would consent to these consequences other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before God demanded it of me?”
[CNN]
So it was a Republican Mormon senator who had the conviction to honor the oath he made before God and those Senators -professing evangelical christians are more worried about maintaining their favor before Trump and party than their oath before God. You shall know them by their fruits the bible says.
Sham Kangaroo court. How do you expect Republicans to remove their own President? If we do this in Africa the whole world makes noise about how we lack a sense of justice and fairness. The world should leave us to our own systems not impose on us stoopid forms of rule such as Democracy. Or is it Democrazy.
USA is not Malawi (s.hithole stat)
Trump is an i-d-i-o-t who has hijacked the Republican party with an hostile acquisition. If I was in Romney’s position, would do the same by siding with facts and the truth. These Republicans are scared of Trump rather than the truth. No wonder they voted down not to admit new evidence and witnesses. America is now no different from Africa were people are scared of their leaders rather than respecting the law and the truth.
Vital Lessons
You don’t block debates. You don’t always vote on party lines, you have to allow it come to voting.
Yes you gotta vote on party lines, Yes you can cross the floor for or against. Democracy thinks on party lines almost all the time.
After all is said and done, you don’t block bill 10.
Debate it and vote.
Don’t argue, they taught you democracy.
I didnt know Republicans are cowards…scared of Trump…America is now the bigger version of Africa….corruption even the US Judiciary is corrupt..
Remember Trump once said he can Murder someone in broad day light along fifth Avenue in New York and he will still get away with it…guess he knows how corrupt the US Judiciary is…i guess some people are above the law in the US…and they will come to Africa and lecture you and call you all sorts of names
But where is our own impeachment motion which was started in our parliament last year. Isnt that an option to help us. Please restore it on the order paper, Let him go, he has done his part and badly so
Gat to hand it to him, he’s a survivor; from the claws of bankruptcy following a nasty divorce, to been a billionaire again, from the claws of impeachment to been a bona fide president again…he sure is the right person to making America great again.
Ex-Moma. You have spoken the truth. God is exposing the fake Christians known as evangelicals in America, so as Africa and other Christians around the world can seek God and God only. I was in shock too a mormon out doing “christians” that was sad. To Jesus be the glory. True Christians let us not follow evangelicals but the real Jesus.
Nzelu what is a Mormon?
Well done Donald. Lekeni ateke trump. Even here we have one opposition party trying all silly tricks under the sun to prevent our ec lungu from ruling . It is very childish. Be men and win elections. Kz
Americans said ‘They have a DEMAGOGUE in the white house. What a disgrace that Republicans can sneer and loath at the morality of their Founding Fathers. Americans have exchanged their moral compass with corruption and money defiling the oath of moral aptitude and integrity. America can no longer boast of being a free world, leader in democracy, justice and liberty. America should and can not have both.
the democrats did this to themselves when the stole the original vote from Bernie Sanders in favour of Hilary Clinton in the final DNC vote that was to determine who would run up against the republican candidate because they believed that she could win over trump following her term as secretary of state under Obama, and also an Obama endorsement and the feminism card she tried to play. THE IGNORED THE FACT THAT AMERICANS HATE THE CLINTONS AND POPULARITY VOTE DOES NOT DETERMINE THE WINNER OF THE ELECTION…..AGAIN THEY ARE TRYING TO STEAL THE BERNIE VOTE IN FAVOUR OF BIDEN (IOWA DELAY IN ANNOUNCING VOTES)….Again they will lose….
ANYWAY we have our own political and economic crisis…and we all know trump will win again!
Unfortunately Trump’s acquittal now gives Africa’s abusive rulers another excuse to continue their bad ways.
Trump. chilende mu kalamba.
Trump is there for a purpose and we should also emulate what Americans have demonstrated, bo HH careful with Bill-10 because it will pull through so that as a nation we forge ahead no time to go back to the vomit its time to move on as a nation.Bo hh missed it during the time of King cobra and time is gone,boo hh just accept that you will never rule this country and now you want to provoke the sitting president by saying you have found a buyer for the presidential jet,mmmmm were on earth all you want is to bring confusion so that you are arrested and in turn your followers riot and kill…….blood blood 500 souls blood mmmmmm kikikiki period