Trump impeachment trial live updates: Biden makes 1st comments on acquittal

Former North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, an ABC News contributor, called Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski "courageous" for voting guilty, saying she was "the person who really risked it all today on behalf of our democracy."

"I hope that dozens of them [Republican senators] will look back and say, 'Why didn't I have the courage of that Alaska senator?'" Heitkamp told ABC News.

ABC News contributor Sara Fagen said, "Had these been secret ballots" in the House and Senate, "there would've been many more votes to impeach and convict."

After Trump was acquitted by the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., took to the Senate floor to blast Trump for his actions and echo House managers' argument that Trump violated his oath of office.

"This was the first presidential impeachment trial in history in which all senators were not only judges and jurors, but witnesses to the Constitutional crime that was committed," Schumer said. "The former president inspired, directed and propelled a mob to violently prevent the peaceful transfer of power, subvert the will of the people and illegally keep that president in power."

Schumer went on to argue that without Trump, the insurrection would have never happened.

"If President Trump hadn't told his supporters to march to the Capitol, if he hadn't implored them to come to Washington on January 6th in the first place, if he hadn't repeatedly lied to them that the election was stolen, their country was being taken from them, the attack would not have happened -- could not have happened," Schumer added.

He highlighted the fact that a majority of senators, including seven republicans, did vote to convict the former president, and said he thinks Trump will be discredited in the eyes of America after his second impeachment trial, even though he was acquitted.

"He deserves to be permanently discredited, and I believe he has been discredited in the eyes of the American people and in the judgment of history," he said.

The former president has released a statement responding to the Senate voting to acquit him Saturday afternoon.

"This has been yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country. No president has ever gone through anything like it, and it continues because our opponents cannot forget the almost 75 million people, the highest number ever for a sitting president, who voted for us just a few short months ago," the statement read.

"Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun. In the months ahead I have much to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people. There has never been anything like it!" it finished.

ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Cecilia Vega pointed out that Trump's statement doesn’t condemn the insurrection.

"The Trump version of reality," she said, "won out today."

The Senate has voted to acquit the former president in a 57-43 vote.

Seven Republicans senators -- Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Richard Burr of North Carolina and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania -- joined Democrats to vote Trump guilty of "incitement of insurrection" -- but they failed to reach the super majority threshold needed for a conviction.

The Senate chamber fell silent as each senator's name was called for the roll call vote.

As required by Senate rules, each senator present had to pronounce Trump "guilty" or "not guilty" while they stood behind their individual desks.

Romney was the only Republican to vote to convict Trump at his last impeachment trial -- in which Trump was also acquitted.

The Senate was ten votes shy of conviction this time around.