Published 05:09 IST, February 6th 2020
Donald Trump to make public statement on impeachment trial verdict on Feb 6
US President Donald Trump said that he will make a public statement on Thursday (local time) at noon after his acquittal in the impeachment trail by Senate.
United States President Donald Trump said that he will make a public statement on Thursday (local time) at noon after his acquittal in the impeachment trail by the Senate.
Taking to Twitter, US President wrote: "I will be making a public statement tomorrow at 12:00 pm from the White House to discuss our country's VICTORY on the impeachment Hoax!"
Before the tweet about the formal statement, Trump had shared a montage depicting a fake cover of Time magazine declaring him president for 'forever'.
Earlier in the day, Donald Trump was acquitted in two Senate articles --- one of abusing his office and the other was of obstructing Congress. He was acquitted 52-48 on the first article of impeachment and 53-47 on impeachment, obstruction of Congress.
Announcing the verdict, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who presided over the trial said: "Two-thirds of the senators present not having pronounced him guilty, the Senate adjudges that respondent Donald John Trump, President of the United States, is not guilty as charged."
The acquittal means that Donald Trump will remain in office for the rest of his term as the President of the United States and will fight for a second term during the Presidential elections which will be held in November this year.
In the 244-year history of the United States, there have three presidents who were impeached --- Andrew Johnson in 1868, Bill Clinton in 1998 and Donlad Trump in 2019. Johnson and Clinton were acquitted and not removed from office. President Richard Nixon resigned rather than face revolt from his own party.
Sen Mitt Romney breaks ties
One Republican, Senator Mitt Romney broke the party lines and voted alongside Democrats to 'convict' Donald Trump for impeachment charges levied against him. Romney had announce his decision before the voting began in the Senate.
In an 8-minute speech, he said: "I acknowledge that my verdict will not remove the President from office. The results of this Senate court will infact be appealed to a higher court, the judgment of the American people. Voters will make the final decision just as the President's lawyers had implored. My vote will likely be in the minority in the Senate but irrespective of these things, with my vote, I will tell my children and their children that I did my duty to the best of my ability, beliving that my country expected of me. I will be only one name among many - no more, no less to future generations of Americans who will look at the record of this trial. They will note merely that I was among the Senators who determined what the President did was wrong, grievously wrong. We are all footnotes at best in the annals of history but in the most powerful nation on earth - the nation conceived liberty and justice that distinction is enough for any citizen."
He voted guilty on the first charge --- abuse of power. He voted not guilty on the second.
Updated 01:33 IST, February 7th 2020