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WASHINGTON, D.C. (BRPROUD) — U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy voted Saturday to convict former President Donald Trump of inciting an insurrection, settling weeks of questions over whether the Louisiana Republican would break ranks with his party.

Cassidy joined 48 Democrats, two independents and six other Republicans in casting a “guilty” vote. But the 57 guilty ballots fell short of the 67 — or two-thirds’ majority — needed to convict the former president.

“Our Constitution and our country is more important than any one person,” Cassidy said in a statement minutes after filing his vote. “I voted to convict President Trump because he is guilty.”

Aside from Cassidy, the other Republican Senators who voted to convict the former president were: Richard Burr of North Carolina; Susan Collins of Maine; Lisa Murkowski of Alaska; Mitt Romney of Utah; Ben Sasse of Nebraska; and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

This is not Cassidy’s first time siding with Democrats during the impeachment process. He voted earlier this week to proceed with the impeachment trial, despite GOP-led claims that trying a former president would be unconstitutional.

“A sufficient amount of evidence of constitutionality exists for the Senate to proceed with the trial,” he said Tuesday. “The House managers had much stronger constitutional arguments. The president’s team did not.”

Cassidy’s votes set him apart from Sen. John Kennedy, the chamber’s other Louisiana Republican. Kennedy voted against the impeachment trial’s constitutionality days ago before voting Saturday to acquit Trump.

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