House Lawmakers Deliver Trump Impeachment Article to Senate
The House of Representatives delivered the single Trump impeachment article to Senate on Monday, accusing former President Donald Trump of inciting an insurrection before the deadly Capitol Siege.
USA Today said in a report that the nine House Democrats, led by Jamie Raskin, who will serve as prosecutors for the trial carried the written Trump impeachment article to the Senate chamber.
The Senate is expected to start a trial on it on February, where 100 senators are expected to serve as juror in the proceedings, reported Reuters.
This is the second Trump impeachment trial to be held in Senate. If Trump gets convicted under this trial, he will be disqualified from becoming president again.
Trump's first impeachment was for charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. This second trial is the first time the U.S. held an impeachment trial after a president left office.
Silence Engulfs Senate Chamber as Raskin Reads Trump Impeachment Article
As Raskin was reading the article in the Senate chamber, House impeachment managers stood still and everyone fell silent.
During the reading, there were only three Republicans in the Senate chamber: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas and Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah. On the other hand, there were at least 30 Democrats in the room, noted CBS News.
Read also: 'We Did What We Came To Do': Trump Stresses Record in Farewell Address
The House impeached Trump on January 13, charging him for inciting the January 6 siege. Prior to the chaotic attack, Trump told his supporters to "fight like hell" as the U.S. Congress prepared to count electoral votes for the November 3 election.
Later that day, a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, delaying the vote count for almost six hours. Windows were shattered and doors were broken down in the process, while five people died in the attack.
Ten House Republicans joined Democrats in voting for the impeachment but for Senate support, Democrats will need 17 Republicans to convict Trump.
This is a steep climb, considering Trump's strong allegiance in the GOP.
Democrat Patrick Leahy to Preside Over Trump Impeachment Trial
The Senate's longest-serving member, Democrat Patrick Leahy, will be presiding over the impeachment trial, since the impeachment is being held against someone who is not the current president.
Normally, he U.S. Constitution calls upon the U.S. chief justice to preside over presidential impeachments.
Leahy, 80, was first elected to the chamber in 1974 and currently holds the title of Senate president pro tempore.
Chief Justice John Roberts presided over Trump's first impeachment trial where he was acquitted by fellow Republicans in February 2020.
Some senators questioned the arrangement of voting in the trial, since Leahy will still be able to vote as all senators can vote on all matters when presiding over the chamber.
Other Republicans also argued that an impeachment can't be held since Trump no longer serves as president, an argument that was shot down by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday.
Related story: Schumer, McConnell Agree To Delay Trump's Impeachment Trial Until Week of Feb. 8
"The theory that the Senate can't try former officials would amount to a constitutional get-out-of-jail-free card for any president," Schumer said.
Since the Senate is divided 50-50, Democrats are working at an advantage since Vice President Kamala Harris gets the final say in case of a tiebreaker vote.
The trial was put off for two weeks so Trump's defense can prepare and so the chamber can focus on President Joe Biden's early priorities.
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