Impeachment trial: How many Senate votes does it take to convict Trump?

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Briefs filed by House Democrats offer preview of Trump impeachment trial

Chad Pergram reports from Capitol Hill.

How many votes would it take to convict former President Trump in the Senate? 

Sixty-seven. The Constitution stipulates that a two-thirds majority must vote for the measure to convict.

The Senate is conducting its impeachment trial against Donald Trump on the charge of inciting the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. The Senate impeachment trial began Tuesday. 

The House’s Jan. 13 vote impeached Trump 232 to 197 on the charge, with 10 Republicans joining all Democrats. The vote in the House only required a simple majority or 218 votes. 

CAN THE SENATE STOP TRUMP FROM RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AGAIN? 

In the Senate, it would take 17 Republicans joining all 50 Senate Democrats to convict Trump on the impeachment article, an outcome that is highly unlikely.

Last week, Sen. Rand Paul introduced a point of order claiming that it is unconstitutional for the Senate to hold an impeachment trial of a former president.  It was defeated by a 55-45 vote, with five Republicans joining all 50 Senate Democrats, meaning 12 additional Republicans would have to change their position in order for the conviction to succeed. 

The five Republicans siding with Democrats were Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska; Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

WHAT IS TRUMP BEING ACCUSED OF IN THE SENATE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL? 

If Trump were convicted, the Senate could take up another vote to bar Trump from ever holding public office again. 

The Senate has never heard an impeachment trial for a president who was no longer in office, but Democrats argue removing Trump from the sphere of government is the main goal. 

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While incitement of an insurrection is the primary charge of the single article of impeachment, House impeachment managers will also try to prove that Trump lied about election results and connect it to the events on Jan. 6.