WASHINGTON — After a five-day Senate trial ending Saturday, former President Donald Trump has been acquitted of the second impeachment of his lone term.
Seven Republicans joined all Democrats to vote guilty, but failed to gain a required two-thirds majority.
Wisconsin’s Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin voted to convict. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson voted to acquit.
Trump is the only U.S. president to be impeached twice.
His second impeachment, on one charge of inciting insurrection, came following the deadly uprising on June 6 at the U.S. Capitol where Trump supporters attempted to disrupt the certification of the electoral college vote affirming Joe Biden as the next president.
As he did for months leading up the election, Trump and his allies fired up a crowd of supporters the day of the insurrection with false claims of a rigged election.
But multiple investigations and recounts nationwide found no evidence of widespread voter fraud, only continuing allegations from politicians that were proved false again and again.
As supporters stormed the Capitol, Senators, members of Congress and even Vice President Mike Pence ran for safety.
In the end, five people, including Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick, died because of the insurrection.
Despite the evidence against Trump, the vast majority of Republicans voted for acquittal, likely worried that vote to convict would spur a primary challenge from Trump’s base in the next election.