The Republicans who could determine Trump's political fate in his upcoming Senate impeachment trial
- The Senate has begun its impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump.
- At least seven GOP senators may be willing to hold Trump accountable for the Capitol siege.
- They are Sens. McConnell, Murkowski, Collins, Romney, Toomey, Sasse, and Cassidy.
As the Senate impeachment trial gets underway for former President Donald Trump, all eyes are on a handful of Republican lawmakers who could break ranks and potentially convince their colleagues to vote to convict Trump and bar him from ever running for public office again.
The House of Representatives impeached Trump on January 13, charging him with incitement of insurrection over his role in the Capitol siege on January 6 that resulted in five deaths. At the time, a violent mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol after the former president encouraged them to stop Congress from finalizing President Joe Biden's victory.
Since Trump is no longer president, Democrats are hoping to convict him in order to bar him from running for office again. House impeachment managers have been presenting their case against Trump since Tuesday. Yet whether Trump is actually convicted depends on how many Republicans break away from their caucus. Every Democrat and 17 Republicans would need to vote "yes" to convict Trump.
No GOP members have publicly said they intend to vote to convict, but several have hinted at their stances.
Key Republicans to pay attention to
- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
- The Kentucky senator remains increasingly influential over his caucus. If he voted to convict Trump, it would be a seismic development that could open the door for other Republicans to vote the same way.
- McConnell has not completely ruled out the possibility of voting to convict Trump. He's made no secret of his disdain for the former president since the insurrection. The Washington Post reported that he never wants to speak to the former president again, and The New York Times reported that McConnell believes Trump committed impeachable offenses.
- He has remained poised during the impeachment trial, and hasn't shared any opinions on Trump's defense or the House impeachment managers' presentation.
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
- Murkowski called on Trump to resign after the siege, and said that if the GOP can't separate itself from him, she may leave the party.
- She broke from her party on Tuesday and voted to declare Trump's impeachment trial constitutional, allowing it to continue.
- Murkowski described the House impeachment managers' case as "strong" on Wednesday. She also said she can't see how Trump could possibly "be reelected to the presidency again."
- Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah
- Romney also sided with Democrats and deemed Trump's impeachment trial constitutional.
- He was the sole Republican who voted to convict Trump for abuse of power in his first impeachment trial related to the Ukraine scandal. After the Capitol siege, Romney skewered Trump for his role in inciting the deadly event and has come out in favor of holding an impeachment trial to dole out "justice" for what happened.
- He also said this impeachment trial would not necessarily be divisive, telling reporters, "When people are saying, 'Oh, we need to have unity,' they don't realize that the lie is causing disunity. That obviously is a real problem."
- Sen. Susan Collins of Maine
- Collins was another Republican who agreed that Trump's trial is constitutional.
- Collins is a bit of a wildcard in the impeachment debate. While she called Trump's actions "appalling" and said he "bears responsibility" for what transpired at the Capitol, the Maine Republican has been silent on her position related to impeachment.
- Collins drew significant criticism after Trump's first impeachment trial, when she voted to acquit him and claimed the president had learned from his actions.
- Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska
- Sasse likewise voted to declare Trump's impeachment trial constitutional.
- Sasse, a frequent critic of Trump, has previously said that the former president is partly to blame for the Capitol riot. Sasse said he would seriously consider any articles of impeachment against the former president in the wake of the violence.
- Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania
- Toomey, who's retiring after his 2022 term ends, also called Trump's impeachment trial constitutional.
- "I do think the president committed impeachable offenses," Toomey previously told Fox News.
- Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
- Cassidy unexpectedly joined his five Republican colleagues on Tuesday and voted to declare Trump's impeachment trial constitutional.
- He had previously supported GOP Sen. Rand Paul's motion to dismiss the trial as unconstitutional.
- Yet this week, Cassidy called Trump's defense "unfocused" and told reporters that he's "an impartial juror."