WASHINGTON – For the second time in just over a year, Senator Jerry Moran watched an impeachment trial of Donald Trump. On Saturday morning, he voted along with Senator Roger Marshall and Missouri Senators Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley against allowing witnesses to testify in the trial.
On Saturday afternoon, Moran did not join with seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump, the most impeachment defections ever from a president's party. The vote was 57-43 to convict but that was short of the two-thirds majority required.
Almost immediately after the trial ended, Moran's office released a statement that condemned the former president.
“The violence at the United States Capitol on January 6 was an attempt to subvert democracy, and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Rioters and extremists sought to prevent Members of Congress and Vice President Pence from performing their constitutional obligation to affirm the results of an election, and President Trump was wrong to continue to spread allegations of widespread fraud and not immediately discourage the reprehensible and unpatriotic behavior," Moran's stated in the release.
“The Constitution does not clearly state whether a former president can be tried for impeachment by the Senate, but I believe the impeachment process is intended to be used for considering whether or not ‘The President’ should be removed from office. Because former President Trump is no longer in office, I voted to acquit. Establishing the precedent that the Senate has jurisdiction to convict a former president would cause extreme damage to our country and the future of the presidency.”
During the five day trial, prosecutors said Trump was the inciter in chief whose rally cry to fight like hell unleashed the mob on the Capitol. The defense said there was no insurrection and Trump's words were simply political speech.