U.S. Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will vote to acquit former President Donald Trump in the impeachment trial against him, local media reported Saturday.
The vote of the leader of the bench indicates that the process will probably end with the acquittal of the former Republican president, as expected, since the Democrats need to gather a two-thirds majority and they only have 50 of the 100 seats in the Upper House.
“Impeachment is a process to remove and therefore there is a lack of jurisdiction in this regard,” the Republican leader said in a letter to his co-religionists quoted by media, in which he stated that it was a “difficult” decision. “Taking into account these conclusions, I will vote to acquit,” he said.
At the beginning of the process, the party leader called on senators to vote conscientiously and freed them from partisan guidelines.
The Senate resumed this Saturday the impeachment debate to discuss whether to allow testimonies in the process, before the closing arguments.
Senators are expected to vote on the verdict during the day.
The former president is accused of alleged “incitement to insurrection” for the assault of his supporters to the Capitol, in the second impeachment trial against him.
