Watch & Comment Live - Trump Acquitted

We'll be updating with key quotes and moments from the trial below.

Catch up on yesterday's trial here.

KEY QUOTES & MOMENTS

Seven Republicans voted to impeach the former president, but Democrats needed 17 Republicans to join them to convict Trump and hold a separate vote to bar him from running for office again. 

These are the Republicans who voted to convict the former president:

• Richard Burr of North Carolina
• Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
• Susan Collins of Maine
• Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
• Mitt Romney of Utah
• Ben Sasse of Nebraska
• Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania

Trump's lawyers are now making their closing arguments

Van der Veen accuses House Managers of fabricating evidence:

“[T]hey made it up....fraud, flat out fraud...false representations of tweets, manipulated video..they were telling a political fable."

Van der Veen also repeated the false claim that the January 6 insurrection was premeditated by "fringe left AND right groups." It was an insurrection led by Trump supporters, including far-right groups.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, lead impeachment manager, argued that Trump was the "inciter-in-chief" of the violence that occured in the Capitol on January 6.

"We've proved he betrayed his country, we've proved he betrayed the Constitution, we proved he betrayed his oath of office," Raskin said.

"Senators, this trial in the final analysis is not about Donald Trump, the country and the world knows who Donald Trump is. This trial is about who we are, who we are."

“Is this America? What kind of America will we be? It’s now literally in your hands.”

Managers pause - then resume - closing arguments after GOP objection

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) interrupted impeachment managers' closing arguments, objecting to a timeline about a call he had with former President Trump on January 6 during the Capitol riot.

Lead impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin:

“It’s now clear beyond doubt that Trump supported the actions of the mob. And so he must be convicted. It's that simple.”

His “dereliction of duty … was central to his incitement of insurrection, and inextricable from it... President Trump must be convicted for the safety and security of our democracy and our people."

Instead of calling witnesses, House Managers and Trump lawyers have agreed to enter a statement from GOP Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler into evidence.

Lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin (D-MD) read the statement from Herrera Beutler of Washington state into the trial record.

Senate votes to call witnesses in a surprise move likely delaying the verdict

Here's what happens now:

1. There needs to be another vote - on a simple majority basis - to subpoena specific witnesses.
2. If the Senate votes to subpoena a witness, the trial will slow down dramatically.

Senate Republicans are demanding that Trump's defense team gets to call one witness - at least - for every witness called by House impeachment managers.

So far, Democrats are seeking to subpoena GOP Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington state. Why? Because....

Earlier this week, Herrera revealed a conversation between House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of California and the former president, where Trump said the mob storming the Capitol cared more about the election results than McCarthy.

"Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are," Trump said, according to lawmakers.

Beutler, who voted to impeach Trump last month, recently told CNN:

"You have to look at what [Trump] did during the insurrection to confirm where his mind was at. That line right there demonstrates to me that either he didn't care, which is impeachable, because you cannot allow an attack on your soil, or he wanted it to happen and was OK with it, which makes me so angry."

She continued:

"We should never stand for that, for any reason, under any party flag... I'm trying really hard not to say the F-word."

The Senate voted 55 to 45 to call witnesses.

Five Republicans voted alongside Democrats to pass the motion: Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney Ben Sasse, and Sen. Lindsey Graham.

No witnesses were called in the first impeachment trial of Donald Trump. In the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton, witnesses were deposed on video.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said he will vote to acquit Trump.

Raskin continued:

“Needless to say this is an additional critical piece of corroborating evidence further confirming the charges before you as well as the president’s willful dereliction of duty and desertion of duty as commander of the United States, his state of mind and his further incitement of the insurrection on January 6th."

Head impeachment manager Jamie Raskin (D-MD) announced that they'd like to subpoena at least one witness: Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, a House Republican.

Earlier this week, Herrera revealed a conversation between House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy and the former president, where Trump said the mob storming the Capitol cared more about the election results than McCarthy.

Beutler, who voted to impeach Trump last month, recently told CNN:

"You have to look at what [Trump] did during the insurrection to confirm where his mind was at. That line right there demonstrates to me that either he didn't care, which is impeachable, because you cannot allow an attack on your soil, or he wanted it to happen and was OK with it, which makes me so angry."

"We should never stand for that, for any reason, under any party flag... I'm trying really hard not to say the F-word."

Trump's defense attorney said he would need "at least over 100 depositions" if witnesses are called.

“After what happened here in this chamber yesterday, the House managers realized they did not investigate this case before bringing the impeachment, they did not give the proper consideration and work, they didn't put the work in that was necessary to impeach the former president,” Trump’s defense attorney Michael van der Veen said. 

RECAP

Trump lawyers Bruce Castor and David Schoen have argued that the former president's remarks ahead of the riot should be protected under the First Amendment and that Trump should not be tried because he's no longer in office.

House Democrats contend that Trump committed high crimes and misdemeanors for his conduct in the weeks leading up to - and the morning of - the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

-Josh Herman