WASHINGTON (WCBS 880) — The Republican-led Senate on Wednesday voted to end President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial with acquittals on both charges.
The third presidential impeachment trial in American history came to a conclusion on Wednesday, with only one Republican senator – Utah Sen. Mitt Romney – voting in favor of removing Trump from office.
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The Democratic-led House impeached Trump on Dec. 18 on two charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The Senate first voted to acquit Trump 52-48 on the charge of abuse of power. The House claimed Trump abused his power by withholding millions of dollars in aid set for the Ukraine in order to demand the country investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son.
Senators then voted to dismiss the second charged of obstruction of Congress. The House claimed Trump and his administration blocked Congress’ investigation into the Ukraine allegations.
Sen. Romney did not vote against President Trump on the second impeachment charge.
"The sham impeachment attempt concocted by Democrats ended in the full vindication and exoneration of President Donald J. Trump," the White House press secretary said in a statement. "As we have said all along, he is not guilty. The Senate voted to reject the baseless articles of impeachment, and only the President’s political opponents – all Democrats, and one failed Republican presidential candidate – voted for the manufactured impeachment articles."
The statement went on to call the impeachment process a "witch-hunt" that "deprived the President of his due process rights and was based on a series of lies."
Wednesday’s vote came just several hours after President Trump delivered his last State of the Union speech before the 2020 presidential election.