Chief Justice John Roberts on Friday said he would not cast any tie-breaking votes in the event of a 50-50 vote on motions in President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE’s impeachment trial.

Roberts, the trial’s presiding officer, said he believes he lacks the authority to cast a deciding vote, despite Chief Justice Salmon Chase having done so twice in the 1868 impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson.

JOHN ROBERTS on casting tie breaking votes:



"I think it would be inappropriate for me, an unelected official from a different branch of government, to assert the power to change that result so that the motion would succeed.”



Live updates: https://t.co/is1qVlbInP pic.twitter.com/BJgiWu3Ptx — JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) February 1, 2020

ADVERTISEMENT

"I think it would be inappropriate for me, an unelected official from a different branch of government, to assert the power to change that result so that the motion would succeed,” Roberts said.

His remarks came in response to a question from Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerDemocrats scramble on COVID-19 relief amid division, Trump surprise Pelosi, Schumer 'encouraged' by Trump call for bigger coronavirus relief package Schumer, Sanders call for Senate panel to address election security MORE (D-N.Y.) about the presiding officer’s tie-breaking authority.

Roberts, appearing to read from a prepared statement, summarized the two votes by Chase in the Johnson trial.

“One had to do with a motion to adjourn and the other was to adjourn deliberations,” Roberts said. “I do not consider those episodes 150 years ago to break ties. If it is divided equally on a motion, the normal rule is that the motion fails.”

His response to Schumer came after the Senate voted down an effort to call witnesses and documents. That motion failed in a 49-51 vote.

Practically speaking, Roberts’s statement means a unified Democratic caucus must convince four Senate Republicans to join them to achieve a majority vote in Trump’s trial.