AP source: GOP leader McConnell will vote to acquit Trump

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a key Republican, has been tight-lipped during Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell will vote to acquit Donald Trump in the former president’s impeachment trial.

That’s according to a source familiar with McConnell’s thinking who was not authorized to publicly discuss the decision and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Word of McConnell’s decision came Saturday before what is expected to be a final day in the historic trial on the charge that Trump incited the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

In this image from video, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., speaks before the Senate voted to award the Congressional Gold Medal to U.S. Capitol Police offer Eugene Goodman for his actions during the Jan. 6 riot, as the Senate took a break from the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. (Senate Television via AP)

The Republican leader’s views are closely watched and carry sway among GOP senators, and his decision on Trump is likely to influence others weighing their votes.

While most Democrat are expected to convict Trump, the two-thirds vote needed for conviction appears unlikely, given that the Senate is evenly split 50-50 between the parties.

In a Saturday morning Twitter post, Politico reporter Burgess Everett shared a screenshot of an email attributed to “Mitch” sent to senators explaining his decision.

Calling it a “vote of conscience,” the longtime Kentucky senator said, “While a close call, I am persuaded that impeachments are a tool primarily of removal and we therefore lack jurisdiction.”

He continued: “The Constitution makes perfectly clear that Presidential criminal misconduct while in office can be prosecuted after the President has left office, which in my view alleviates the otherwise troubling ‘January exception’ argument raised by the House. Given these conclusions, I will vote to acquit.”

McConnell says it was a “close call” but says impeachment is “primarily a tool of removal” and the Senate lacks jurisdiction . He says criminal conduct by a president in office can be prosecuted when the president is out of office pic.twitter.com/JGMTjCp2OL

— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) February 13, 2021

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