President Donald Trump was acquitted of two articles of impeachment by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday in his trial.
The dramatic vote fell mostly on partisan lines.
After a nearly month-long proceeding, which was the third impeachment trial in the country’s history, the Senators voted 52 to 48 regarding the abuse of power allegation, and 53 to 47 concerning obstruction of Congress’ investigation.
A two-thirds guilty vote was needed to reach the Constitution’s threshold to convict and remove Trump from office.
Utah Republican Senator and former 2012 Presidential candidate Mitt Romney was the only senator who broke party lines and voted guilty on the first charge of abuse of power. He voted not guilty in the second charge of obstruction.
Devout Mormon Romney, who has feuded with President Trump, told journalist Chris Wallace in a Fox News interview, “I had to follow my conscience.”
What started as Trump’s request for Ukraine’s president to “do us a favor” on a July 25 phone call turned into an impeachment in the House.
Trump, 73, was accused of engaging in shadow diplomacy that threatened U.S. foreign relations for personal, political gain as he allegedly pressured the ally to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden before the upcoming 2020 election.
But Trump released a transcript of the call, calling it “perfect” and denying any wrongdoing.
Numerous celebrities were thrilled with the prospect of the president possibly being thrown out of office.
Only two other presidents — Bill Clinton in 1999 and Andrew Johnson in 1868– faced impeachment and also were acquitted.
After the Watergate scandal, President Richard Nixon resigned from office on Sept. 8, 1974 rather than face impeachment.
Trump’s acquittal followed other dramatic political moments this week.
On Monday, the results of the Democrats’ Iowa caucuses couldn’t be released due to a faulty app, and on Tuesday night, the president delivered his State of the Union speech, in which he gave the Medal of Freedom to cancer-stricken right wing talk show host Rush Limbaugh.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ripped up Trump’s speech when he finished it. Earlier, Trump had appeared to snub Pelosi by not shaking her hand.
Just minutes after his acquittal, Trump tweeted that he will be making a public statement on Thursday, Feb. 6, adding, “To discuss our Country’s VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax!”
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