Topline
The impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump will start the week of Feb. 8, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, after Democrats agreed with a proposal from Republican leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to give Trump's legal team two weeks to prepare for the trial.
Key Facts
The Senate will formally receive the article of impeachment—one count of “incitement of insurrection” on Monday, and senators will be sworn in as jurors on Tuesday, Schumer said.
A delay in the trial’s start date from the time the Senate received the article was expected, especially after President Joe Biden said Friday a delay would give his administration more time to get “up and running.”
In the meantime, Schumer said, the Senate will work on confirmations for Biden Cabinet positions and passing another Covid relief package.
Crucial Quote
"The Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol incited by Donald J. Trump was a day none of us will ever forget,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “We all want to put this awful chapter in our nation's history behind us, but healing and unity will only come if there is truth and accountability. And that is what this trial will provide.”
What To Watch For
A conviction in the Senate impeachment trial would require a two-thirds majority of senators to vote “guilty” on the impeachment article. The Senate is currently split 50-50 down party lines, but several GOP senators—including McConnell—are reportedly open to the idea of a conviction. Congress could rule Trump ineligible to run for office again if he’s convicted.
Key Background
Trump is the only president in U.S. history to be impeached twice, with the latest impeachment coming after a 232-197 vote from the House of Representatives. All House Democrats and 10 House Republicans voted in favor of impeachment, making it the most bipartisan of the four impeachment votes in history. Biden’s press secretary said Friday the president will not offer a public opinion on whether Trump should be convicted, saying it’s up to Congress “to determine how they will hold the former president accountable.”
Further Reading
McConnell Wants To Wait Until Next Month To Start Trump’s Impeachment Trial (Forbes)
‘Derelict In His Duty’: Senate Republicans Warm To Convicting Trump As Trial Looms (Forbes)
These 10 Republicans Voted To Impeach Trump In An Unprecedented Break From Party (Forbes)
Biden Won't Weigh In On Trump Impeachment Trial (Forbes)
"8" - Google News
January 23, 2021 at 06:28AM
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Trump's Impeachment Trial Delayed Until Week Of Feb. 8 - Forbes
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