Breitbart News reported on Jan. 22 that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced the same day that the 2nd impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump, which the Senate decided would take place during the week beginning Feb. 8. The announcement comes after House Speaker Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced that the House will send articles of impeachment to the Senate on Monday (Jan. 25).
In his speech on the Senate floor, Schumer said, “As with all past impeachment cases, both the Senate managers and the defense will need Time to draft legal briefs. Once the briefs are drafted, presentations from both sides will begin the week of Feb. 8.”
According to The Hill, the articles of impeachment will be read next Monday (Jan. 25) beginning at 7 p.m., according to an agreement between Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). The senators will be sworn in on Tuesday, and the subpoenas against Trump were issued on Tuesday. Trump’s response to the articles of impeachment and his response to the Senate pre-trial briefs need to be filed by February 2, and Trump’s pre-trial briefs need to be filed within six days thereafter. The Senate trial on impeachment could begin as early as February 9, when the Senate pre-trial rebuttal will also take place.
In a statement, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell expressed satisfaction with the timing of the trial, and McConnell was pleased that Schumer agreed to the additional time requested by the Republicans during the pre-trial phase. Especially in light of the expedited and minimalist procedures taken by the Senate, Republicans need that the Senate’s next move will respect former President Trump’s rights and due process, the Senate institution and the presidency.
Last week, McConnell blamed Trump for sparking a riot at the U.S. Capitol that left five people dead, including police officers. “The mob listened to the lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people who tried to use fear and violence to stop a particular program they didn’t like,” the Kentucky Republican said, “but we moved on. We stand together and say that an angry mob will not get a veto on the rule of law in our country.”
McConnell has not yet decided whether he will convict Trump in his upcoming trial, and some reports suggest he may have trouble maintaining his current, already longtime role as Senate Republican leader if he votes against the former president.
According to CNN, a senior Republican senator, who asked not to be named, said, “If he does that, I don’t know if he can stay on as leader.” The lawmaker told CNN, “Several of his colleagues hold similar views, and he has asked the media not to name him as discussing sensitive internal politics.”
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