Mitt Romney caught the White House completely off guard by breaking from the GOP with vote to convict Trump

Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump.

• Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah caught the White House - and the rest of Washington - by surprise when he announced Wednesday that he will vote to convict President Donald Trump of one of the two charges against him following a bitter impeachment trial.
• Within minutes of his Senate floor speech, the White House canceled a closed-door meeting between Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido in the Oval Office that reporters were invited to attend.
• Romney also did several media interviews about his decision to convict Trump that dropped right after he made the announcement.
• But The Los Angeles Times' Eli Stokols reported that the White House was not informed of any of the interviews before they were published.
• Romney's unexpected announcement shattered Trump's hope that the Republican Party would not break ranks in siding with him following his impeachment trial.
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Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah caught the White House - and the rest of Washington - by surprise when he announced Wednesday that he will vote to convict President Donald Trump of one of the two charges against him following a bitter impeachment trial.

The House of Representatives impeached Trump last month for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The two articles of impeachment relate to the president's efforts to strong-arm Ukraine to deliver politically motivated investigations targeting his rivals.

The Wall Street Journal's Michael C. Bender reported that the White House was caught completely off guard by Romney's announced Wednesday. Indeed, within minutes of his Senate floor speech, the White House canceled a closed-door meeting between Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido in the Oval Office that reporters were invited to attend.

Romney also did several media interviews about his decision to convict Trump that dropped right after he made the announcement. But The Los Angeles Times' Eli Stokols reported that the White House was not informed of any of the interviews before they were published.

"I think the case was made," Romney told the New York Times in an interview on Wednesday morning.

Romney also told The Atlantic's staff writer McKay Coppins he prayed for guidance throughout the impeachment proceedings.

"This has been the most difficult decision I have ever had to make in my life," Romney told Coppins. "I have gone through a process of very thorough analysis and searching, and I have prayed through this proces. But I don't pretend that God told me what to do."

The Utah senator didn't mince words when he announced he would vote to convict Trump for abuse of power on Wednesday.

"Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one's oath of office that I can imagine," he said.

The Senate will hold a final vote on whether to convict or acquit Trump beginning at 4 p.m. ET. Romney is the first Republican senator to break ranks with his party by deciding to convict the president.

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