The impeachment trial of former United States President Donald Trump will begin on February 9 after Senate leaders reached an agreement ov...
The impeachment trial of former United States President Donald Trump will begin on February 9 after Senate leaders reached an agreement over its date, reported The Washington Post on Friday. The proceedings to look into whether Trump started the January 6 Capitol building riots has been delayed by two weeks.
The agreement was reached between Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The House of Representatives had on January 13 passed the impeachment article against Trump, who could be barred from holding public offices.
The leaders could have forced the Senate to begin the trial immediately. However, a delay is in favour of both the former and current presidents. Trump has been struggling to assemble a legal team and muster a defense, and President Joe Biden needs the Senate to confirm most of his Cabinet appointees.
The Senate’s 100 members will be sworn in as trial jurors after the trial begins, according to AFP. If the trial began immediately, all Senate business would have been interrupted.
Schumer said that in these two weeks before the trial begins, the Senate will act on Biden’s Cabinet nominations “and the Covid-19 relief bill which would provide relief for millions of American who are suffering during this pandemic”.
McConnell had on Thursday pushed for a three-week delay. However, Schumer and...
