BREAKING: U.S. Senate acquits President Donald Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress
A majority of senators expressed unease with Trump's pressure campaign on Ukraine that resulted in the two articles of impeachment. But the final tallies -- 52-48 favouring acquittal of abuse of power, 53-47 of obstruction of Congress' investigation -- fell far short. Two-thirds "guilty" votes would have been needed to reach the Constitution's bar of high crimes and misdemeanours to convict and remove Trump from office.
On the first article of impeachment, Trump was charged with abuse of power. He was found not guilty. The second, obstruction of Congress, also produced a not guilty verdict. Ahead of voting, some of the most closely watched senators took to the Senate floor to tell their constituents, and the nation, what they had decided. The Senate chaplain opened the trial with daily prayers for the senators, including one Wednesday seeking "integrity."
They detailed an extraordinary shadow diplomacy run by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani that set off alarms at the highest levels of government. After Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukraine, Trump temporarily halted U.S. aid to the struggling ally battling hostile Russia at its border. The money was eventually released in September as Congress intervened.
In closing arguments for the trial the lead prosecutor, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., appealed to senators' sense of decency, that "right matters" and "truth matters" and that Trump "is not who you are." But a whistleblower complaint of his conversation with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy set off alarms. The call had been placed the day after Mueller announced the findings of his Russia probe.
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