NCGOP Censures Sen. Burr For Guilty Vote Against Trump

NORTH CAROLINA — The North Carolina Republican Party voted to censure Sen. Richard Burr Monday evening after he joined six other U.S. Senate Republicans in favor of conviction during the second impeachment hearing for former President Donald Trump over the weekend.

Burr called the formal reprimand "truly a sad day for North Carolina Republicans," adding, "My party's leadership has chosen loyalty to one man over the core principles of the Republican Party and the founders of our great nation," CNN reported.

The Senate on Saturday voted to acquit Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 violent insurrection against the U.S. Capitol. The vote brings to a close the nearly weeklong trial that delivered a somber and graphic narrative of the riot that left five people dead. Trump's acquittal came following a 57-43 vote, with 57 voting to convict. Only seven Republicans crossed party lines by joining Democrats in favor of conviction.

In a statement released Monday night, NCGOP had sharp criticism for Burr's vote. "Tonight, the North Carolina Republican Party Central Committee voted unanimously to censure Senator Richard Burr for his vote to convict former President Trump in the impeachment trial which he declared to be unconstitutional," it said. "The NCGOP agrees with the strong majority of Republicans in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate that the Democrat-led attempt to impeach a former President lies outside the United States Constitution."

Burr defended his Feb. 13 vote to convict Trump, saying that while he believed it unconstitutional to impeach a president who was no longer in office, the evidence indicated Trump "bears responsibility for these tragic events" that led to seven deaths as a result of the Jan. 6 riot on the U.S. Capitol.

“I have listened to the arguments presented by both sides and considered the facts. The facts are clear," Burr said in the statement. "The President promoted unfounded conspiracy theories to cast doubt on the integrity of a free and fair election because he did not like the results. As Congress met to certify the election results, the President directed his supporters to go to the Capitol to disrupt the lawful proceedings required by the Constitution. When the crowd became violent, the President used his office to first inflame the situation instead of immediately calling for an end to the assault," he said.

"The evidence is compelling that President Trump is guilty of inciting an insurrection against a coequal branch of government and that the charge rises to the level of high Crimes and Misdemeanors," Burr said. "Therefore, I have voted to convict."

Minutes after voting to acquit Trump, McConnell addressed the Senate, saying there is still "no question" that Trump was "practically and morally responsible for provoking" the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol.

McConnell said he could not vote to convict Trump because he is "constitutionally not eligible for conviction" because he is no longer president.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who addressed the Senate prior to McConnell, said Jan. 6 will live as a "day of infamy" in American history, and the vote to acquit Trump "will live as a vote of infamy in the history of the United States Senate."

Megan VerHelst, Patch Staff, along with the Associated Press contributed to this story.