- Republican Senators senta strong signal Tuesday,

as 45 out of 50 voted todeclare the impeachment trial

of former-President DonaldTrump unconstitutional.

- On this vote, the ayes are 55.

The nays are 45.

The motion to table is agreed to.

The point of order is notsustained, Majority Leader.

- [Caitlin] The trialgoes on, but the vote,

set in motion by Senator Rand Paul,

makes it clear that Trumpis almost certainly headed

towards a second acquittal.

- This impeachment is nothingmore than a partisan exercise,

designed to further divide the country.

Democrats claim to wantto unify the country,

but impeaching a former President,

a private citizen, isthe antithesis of unity.

- [Caitlin] Senator Paul blasted the trial

and called on his colleaguesto put an end to it

and instead get to work for America.

- Instead of doing the nation's work

with their new majorities in the House,

the Senate, and the Executive Branch,

Democrats are wasting the nation's time

on a partisan vendetta againsta man no longer in office.

- [Caitlin] GOP lawmakers argued

the trial is unconstitutional

because Trump is no longer the President.

- How can you putsomeone through a process

where the automatic consequenceof it is impossible?

You can't remove Donald Trump from office.

He's not in office.

- [Caitlin] Democratsinsist the Constitution

does not exempt a formerPresident from impeachment.

- The theory that the Senatecan't try former officials

would amount to a constitutionalget-out-of-jail-free card

for any President who commitsan impeachable offense.

- While only fiveRepublicans voted in favor

of moving forward with the trial,

17 would need to join Democratsin order to convict Trump.

There may be another alternative, however.

According to Axios,

Republican Susan Collins of Maine

and Democrat Tim Kaine of Virginia

are trying to get their fellow Senators

to go along with a bipartisanresolution censoring Trump.

The impeachment trial willmove forward on February 9th.

Paul's motion has officiallyput Senators on the record

and made very clear that, as of now,

the votes to impeach the formerPresident just aren't there.

Caitlin Burke, CBN News.