Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) had introduced a motion before the Senate, suggesting the Senate dismiss Trump’s slated impeachment trial. Forty-five Senators voted in favor of the motion.
Five Republican Senators voted against Paul’s motion. Those senators are:
Collins
Murkowski
Romney (as expected)
Sasse
Toomey
Senate rejects Sen. Paul’s motion to declare fmr. Pres. Trump’s impeachment trial unconstitutional, in 55-45 vote. The 5 Republicans senators who voted with Democrats to proceed with the trial were Sens. Collins, Murkowski, Romney, Sasse, and Toomey, @GarrettHaake reports. pic.twitter.com/Lqpmo9VWjr
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 26, 2021
Since Paul’s point of order was eventually defeated by a margin of 55-45, the Senate trial will move forward. However, if the 45 Senators who voted in favor of Paul’s motion, it can be predicted that the Senate will not have the 67-supermajority vote needed to convict Trump.
This news follows reports of the House delivering an article of impeachment to the Senate on Monday. The articles allege Trump enabled, “imminent lawless action at the Capitol.”
Rand Paul has been an outspoken critic of the trial. In a recent Tweet, Paul described the upcoming “trial” as “partisan” and “dead on arrival.”
The Senate just voted on my constitutional point of order.
45 Senators agreed that this sham of a “trial” is unconstitutional.
That is more than will be needed to acquit and to eventually end this partisan impeachment process.
This “trial” is dead on arrival in the Senate.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 26, 2021
