Trump impeachment trial live updates: Biden says charge 'not in dispute' in 1st comments on acquittal

Biden remembered those who were killed and called for unity going forward.

Former President Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial ended with a 57-43 vote to acquit in the Senate. He faced a single charge of incitement of insurrection over his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.


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Trump team stunned by move to call witnesses

Sources close to Trump are floored by the unexpected, 11th-hour motion to call witnesses in the impeachment trial of the former president.

"Stunned," "stupefied," and "digesting this” were responses provided by sources to ABC News. There is total panic in the air as the question looms of who may get called as a witness and who may step up to help Trump's defense team.

The development to call witnesses revolves around the timeline of Trump's response to the attack on Jan. 6 and when he knew then-Vice President Mike Pence was in danger.

David Schoen, one of Trump's impeachment lawyers, threatened to quit Thursday night -- just hours before he was to mount a defense of Trump's actions.

It wasn't until Trump called Schoen directly that he agreed to remain on the team. It also led to the speaking roles and order of the attorneys during the Friday defense presentation being altered, according to the sources.

ABC News' Katherine Faulders and John Santucci


Why did Graham change his vote?

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who changed his vote to allow witnesses in the impeachment trial of Trump, has threatened to summon all kinds of witnesses if Democrats moved forward with calling for them.

Before the trial began Saturday, Graham tweeted, "If you want a delay, it will be a long one with many, many witnesses."

It's a sentiment shared by Trump's defense attorney Michael van der Veen who said he’ll subpoena hundreds -- including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris.

"The only thing that I ask, if you vote for witnesses, do not handcuff me by limiting the number of witnesses that I can have," he said before the senators voted 55-45 to allow them.

Senators, at one point, laughed at van der Veen, a personal injury attorney based in Philadelphia, for saying he wanted everyone deposed in his office there.

"None of these depositions should be done by Zoom. We didn't do this hearing by Zoom. These depositions should be done in person, in my office, in Philadelphia," he said, to laughter. "I haven't laughed at any of you and there's nothing laughable here."


Trial pauses after the Senate voted to call witnesses

After five GOP senators joined Democrats in voting for witnesses, leadership from both sides now need to figure out what the next steps of this trial will be. A quorum was called while each side confers among themselves.

Both legal teams left the Senate chamber.

-ABC News' Trish Turner


Senate votes to call witnesses

In an 11th-hour development, the Senate has moved to call witnesses in Trump's second impeachment trial. Witnesses were not allowed at his first trial.

Five Republican senators joined Democrats on the vote Saturday brining it to 55-45.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close ally of the former president, changed his vote after the call was read back to support witnesses, joining Republican Sens. Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Ben Sasse.

The Senate moved to allow witnesses after Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., called to subpoena Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., after she tweeted out a statement overnight reiterating details surrounding House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's call with Trump during the Capitol siege.

Trump's defense team slammed the notion.


House manager Raskin begins to lay out closing arguments

After the Senate decided it will not call any witnesses, lead House manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., was the first to speak during closing arguments. He reiterated the prosecution's case, calling for the conviction of Trump.

"It was suggested by defense counsel that Donald Trump's conduct during the attack, as described in Congresswoman Beutler's statement, is somehow not part of the Constitutional offense for which former President Trump has been charged," Raskin began. "I want to reject that falsehood and that fallacy immediately. After he knew that violence was underway at the Capitol, President Trump took actions that further incited the insurgents to be more inflamed and to take even more extreme, selective, and focused action against Vice President Mike Pence."

Raskin went on to use his time to describe Trump's months-long campaign to discredit the 2020 election results by spreading misinformation, which he argued laid the groundwork for deadly events of Jan. 6. He went on to claim that the former president assembled the mob, incited it and then sent it off to the Capitol during his speech. At every point, Trump sided with the insurrectionists rather than the Congress, Raskin said.

Once when the violence began, Raskin declared that Trump ignored the violence and further incited it by aiming the attacks on his own vice president.

"There has never been a greater betrayal by the president of the United States of his office, and of his oath to the Constitution."

Raskin then took a moment to suggest the GOP used "cancel culture" against one of its leaders, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who voted to impeach Trump in the House.

"Liz Cheney is a hero for standing up for the truth, and resisting this retaliatory cancel culture that she was subjected to."

Raskin emphasized his gratitude toward the Capitol Police, and finished his argument by saying convicting Trump is a vote for the "security of our democracy."

"They attacked this building, they disrupted the peaceful transfer of power, they injured and killed people, convinced that they were acting on his instructions, and with his approval, and protection," Raskin finished. "And while that happened, he further incited them, while failing to defend us. If that's not ground for conviction, if that's not a high crime and misdemeanor against the republic in the United States of America then nothing is. President Trump must be convicted for the safety and security of our democracy and our people."