Mitt Romney Explains Why He Voted To Convict Donald Trump

In a statement released Saturday, Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah explained his vote to convict Donald Trump in the Senate’s impeachment trial.

Per The Hill, Romney said that the former commander-in-chief is clearly guilty of the charge made by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.

“Trump incited the insurrection against Congress by using the power of his office to summon his supporters to Washington on January 6th and urging them to march on the Capitol during the counting of electoral votes,” he began.

“He did this despite the obvious and well known threats of violence that day,” the senator continued, stating that Trump betrayed the Constitution by provoking violence against members of Congress and then-Vice President Mike Pence.

“President Trump also violated his oath of office by failing to protect the Capitol, the Vice President, and others in the Capitol. Each and every one of these conclusions compels me to support conviction.”

Romney was the only GOP senator to vote with Democrats in Trump’s first impeachment trial. He has frequently criticized the former commander-in-chief, breaking with party leadership and trying to work with his colleagues across the aisle.

Romney’s willingness to stand up to Trump has cost him significant support among conservatives across the nation, polling suggests. For instance, a recent Axios-Ipsos poll found that Romney — who was the GOP’s 2012 presidential nominee — is more popular among Democrats than among Republicans.

In the poll, which was conducted after the January 6 riots, 62 percent of Democrats said they approve of Romney’s behavior. Only 32 percent of Republicans said the same.

The Senate voted 57-43 to acquit the former commander-in-chief, with only seven Republicans bucking their party.

Apart from Romney, Sens. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania voted to convict.

Toomey also released a statement explaining his vote. He said that Democratic politicians and members of the press spent years attacking Trump, but noted that he had to support the conviction because the former head of state committed high crimes and misdemeanors and violated his oath of office.

According to Toomey, Trump “betrayed the confidence millions of us placed in him” because he incited violence and repeatedly tried to delegitimize the electoral process by claiming Democrat Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election thanks to widespread voter fraud.

After being acquitted by the upper chamber for the second time, Trump told supporters that he looks forward to “continuing our incredible journey together,” indicating that he wants to remain politically active.