Tennessee Senators Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn were among those who voted on Saturday to acquit former President Donald Trump in the Senate impeachment trial. There were not enough votes to meet the two-thirds majority requirement for impeachment.
The vote was 57 to 43 to impeach, but 67 votes were needed.
Seven Republicans joined Democrats in supporting impeachment.
Senator Hagerty said, “Instead of putting the needs of the hardworking men and women of this country first, the Senate has spent this week watching a political performance by the House managers designed to humiliate the former president, discredit his successful policies, and shame the 74 million Americans who voted for him.
“But they have failed spectacularly. It has been a wasted week. I voted to acquit President Trump because the article of impeachment was unconstitutional. But it was also unsubstantiated by the House managers’ complete lack of investigation, smoke-and-mirrors presentation, and distortion of basic First Amendment principles.
"More importantly, it could have paved the way for a dangerous precedent of allowing Congress to punish any former official when control of the legislative branch shifts to a different party. The Senate is not the forum for this, and the time wasted with this political show-trial did nothing to help Tennesseans overcome the ongoing pandemic and resulting recession or put students back in the classroom safely.”
Senator Blackburn said, “The House Impeachment managers launched an unconstitutional show trial to humiliate the former President and his supporters. The Impeachment managers have accomplished nothing but to extend the pain of the American people. They achieved one thing – Donald J. Trump’s acquittal.”
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann said, “Last month, I voted against impeaching President Donald Trump. Today, the Senate rightly voted to acquit President Donald Trump, finally concluding this unconstitutional impeachment trial. The Senate does not have the Constitutional power to convict a former official and a conviction would have set a dangerous precedent.
“The Senate has wasted a week of the 117th Congress on this unconstitutional impeachment trial. It’s time for Congress to stop wasting time and do our jobs – we need to focus on getting students back into schools, creating jobs, getting vaccines to all Americans, and restoring the American dream.”