HIGHLIGHTS-Republican Romney, citing faith, breaks with party on Trump impeachment

Republican Senator Mitt Romney, breaking with his party, said on Wednesday he would vote to convict U.S. President Donald Trump of the impeachment charge of abusing his power, accusing the president of an "abusive and destructive violation" of his oath of office. Following are highlights of remarks Romney made on the Senate floor announcing his decision.

"As a senator-juror, I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice. I am profoundly religious. My faith is at the heart of who I am. I take an oath before God as enormously consequential. I knew from the outset that being tasked with judging the president - the leader of my own party - would be the most difficult decision I have ever faced. I was not wrong." "The great question the Constitution asks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor. Yes, he did."

"Corrupting an election to keep one's self in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one's oath of office that I can imagine." "The president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust. What he did was not perfect. No, it was a flagrant assault on our electoral rights, our national security and our fundamental values."

"Were I to ignore the evidence that has been presented and disregard what I believe my oath and the Constitution demands of me for the sake of a partisan end, it would - I fear - expose my character to history's rebuke and the censure of my own conscience." "I acknowledge that my verdict will not remove the president from office. The results of this Senate court will in fact be appealed to a higher court - the judgment of the American people. Voters will make the final decision, just as the president's lawyers have implored. My vote will likely be in the minority in the Senate. But irrespective of these things, with my vote I will tell my children and their children that I did my duty to the best of my ability, believing that my country expected it of me."

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