
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine announced Tuesday she will vote to acquit President Donald Trump in the Senate’s impeachment trial.
Known as a party “moderate” and considered a potential swing vote, Collins had broken with her party on Thursday to support the call for more witnesses in the trial, CNN reported.
She was joined by Utah Sen. Mitt Romney as the only Senate Republicans to support that measure.
On the question of conviction, however, Collins stuck with her GOP colleagues.
She announced her decision from the Senate floor.
“I do not believe that the House has met its burden of showing that the president’s conduct, however flawed, warrants the extreme step of immediate removal from office,” the senator said.
Susan Collins to acquit on both impeachment articles:
“Except when extraordinary circumstances require a different result, we should entrust to the people the most fundamental decision of a democracy, namely, who should lead their country."pic.twitter.com/aKdaVOvGiI— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 4, 2020
Collins focused on problems with House Democrats’ conduct during their impeachment inquiry, saying the House “substituted its own political preference for speed over finality.” full story