WASHINGTON, February 14. /TASS/. Former US president Donald Trump was acquitted during the impeachment trial held by the US Senate on Saturday, according to live broadcasts by US TV channels.
No less than 67 votes are required to convict Trump in an impeachment trial. However, only 57 senators voted in favor of impeachment, and 43 - against.
The US House of Representatives controlled by Democrats approved on January 13 a text of resolution on impeaching Trump, charging him with "incitement of insurrection." The resolution said Trump had "demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain office." Democrats initiated Trump's first impeachment trial in 2019 but that attempt failed. The US Senate will resume the second impeachment trial against Trump on February 9.
The new impeachment drive was initiated over Trump’s remarks on January 6 when his supporters stormed the Capitol Building in Washington DC to stop lawmakers from officially certifying the results of the November presidential election. This was a last-ditch attempt to prevent Democrat Joe Biden from becoming the new president.
The situation is unprecedented since for the first time in the country’s history a president (who has already left the post) is subject to the impeachment procedure twice.