US Senate acquits Trump as republicans save him in second impeachment trial

Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial concluded within five days. The final verdict was that the former president was not guilty of inciting an insurrection at the US Capitol last month.

There have now been four presidential impeachment trials in US history, and this one was the shortest so far.

The US Senate voted 57-43 in favor of convicting Donald Trump, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict him on a charge of inciting the mob that attacked the US Capitol on January 6.

The attack left five causalities behind and forced lawmakers to flee.

During the trial, the senators viewed graphic video of the assault including scenes of a police officer screaming in pain as he was crushed in a door and lawmakers having near-misses with rioters as security officers hurried the elected officials into hiding for their own safety.

The former US President left office on January 20 which means impeachment could not be used to remove him from power.

Trump did not take the stand during the five-day hearing but shortly after the acquittal, he released a statement, labelling the proceeding the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country.

“Yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our nation," he said.