The Senate Saturday acquitted former President Donald Trump of the charge that he was primarily responsible for inflaming a mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
In the end, the Democrats who had impeached Trump in the House of Representatives could muster 57 votes in favor of the trial against the former president, falling short of 10 votes to make it a two-thirds majority.
The Senate which has a 50-50 equal representation of the Democratic and Republican chambers was not expected to reach the 67-vote threshold as 43 senators voted to declare Trump as not guilty of the incitement charges.
Democrats have accused Trump of having been behind the deadly attack that killed five people as members of Congress sought to endorse the Nov 3, 2020 election victory for Joe Biden.
Presenting a series of videos and tweets on top of the speech that Trump delivered just before the mob moved to the Capitol, Democrats said there was no doubt left in their minds that he pumped up the crowd to launch the violent attack on one of the greatest symbols of American democracy.
Trump is the only U.S. president who has been impeached twice by the House of Representatives.
