Breaking: Senate Acquits Trump at Second Impeachment Trial

The Senate acquitted former President Donald Trump a second time Saturday after a historic impeachment trial where House managers painted him as a lingering threat after his supporters rioted at the Capitol, an argument that failed to convince enough Senate Republicans to convict. 

A 57-43 majority of the Senate voted to convict Trump, but fell short of the two-thirds majority required for conviction. Seven Republicans joined the 50 lawmakers who caucus with Democrats. Trump was also acquitted a year ago in his first trial over his dealings with Ukraine, when a majority opposed conviction and only one Republican joined Democrats voting to convict.

The trial was historic because Trump was the first president impeached twice and the first to be tried after leaving office. Trump was only the third president tried in the Senate – all were acquitted. But the Senate vote against Trump was the most bipartisan vote for conviction of a president in history – the others faced votes entirely from the opposition party.

The latest article of impeachment charged Trump with inciting the insurrection Jan. 6 at the Capitol, which left five dead including a police officer and a woman shot by police. Rioters rampaged through the building, interrupting the Electoral College vote count and searching for Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.