Six Republicans to keep an eye on during final Trump impeachment vote
Securing a conviction would require the vote of at least 17 members of Trump’s Republican Party
Donald Trump's impeachment trial is slated to finish on Saturday with a vote on whether the former president should be convicted on a charge of inciting insurrection in a speech to supporters just before hundreds of them stormed the Capitol.
Securing a conviction would require the vote of at least 17 members of Trump's Republican Party. Earlier in the week, six of them broke with the party to vote that the trial should proceed, and on Friday a Republican Senate aide said ultimately as many as 10 might vote to convict.
Here's a look at the six Republican senators to watch during the final impeachment vote:
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Ben Sasse
The Nebraska senator handily won re-election in 2020 and is considered a potential contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. He publicly denounced Trump's false claims of widespread electoral fraud and said there was no basis to object to Democrat Joe Biden's Nov. 3 victory.
Bill Cassidy
The Louisiana senator changed his vote from his earlier one, backing arguments on Tuesday that the trial was constitutional. Cassidy told reporters after the House impeachment managers presented their side that they had "a very good opening."
Lisa Murkowski
Murkowski of Alaska became the first U.S. senator in 50 years to win an election with a write-in campaign in 2010 after losing in the Republican primary. She called for Trump to resign after his followers rioted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 to disrupt the formal certification of the election by Congress.
Mitt Romney
Romney, a Utah senator and the 2012 Republican presidential candidate, has been a vocal critic of Trump. In 2020, Romney was the only Republican senator to vote for conviction during Trump's first impeachment trial.
Pat Toomey
The Pennsylvania senator announced in October 2020 he would not be seeking re-election. He said in television interviews Trump committed "impeachable offenses" and called on him to resign after the Jan. 6 attack.
Susan Collins
The Maine centrist was the only Republican senator re-elected in 2020 in a state also won by Biden. She said Trump had incited the Jan. 6 riot.
