In the wake of a Capitol breach that left five people dead, the country is once again asking what accountability looks like when a leader's power has already passed to someone else. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is preparing to send the impeachment article against Donald Trump to the Senate, a step that could open a trial within days, while Republican leader Mitch McConnell asks for a pause until February. The question is less about the calendar than about whether a republic can hold a former president to account, and whether its senators can weigh that duty against the work of governing a nation alrea
Pelosi to Send Trump Impeachment Article to Senate, Trial Could Open Next Week Despite McConnell's Delay Plea
Five people, including a Capitol Police officer, died in the January 6 Capitol breach.
Trump is the first American president to be impeached twice.
Mark
Why does the date of this trial matter so much?
Mimi
Because the date is tied to everything else the Senate has to do. Democrats want the trial done so Congress can move on, but Biden's Cabinet nominees and a new round of coronavirus relief are waiting too.
Mark
So a delay isn't just a Republican tactic?
Mimi
McConnell proposed February, saying Trump needs time to prepare. But Senator Chris Coons told CNN Democrats would consider a delay if Cabinet confirmations are progressing.
Luke
Worth noting that's one senator's conditional statement. It isn't a party position, and Schumer's office has only said he's reviewing McConnell's plan.
Mark
And the Tuesday start?
Mimi
It's what the rules allow after Pelosi sends the article on Monday. The reporting says it could begin then, not that it will.
Luke
Right, and that hinges on talks between Schumer and McConnell that haven't concluded.
Mark
What about the numbers for conviction?
Mimi
Seventeen Republicans are needed. Ten House Republicans voted to impeach, and a handful of senators are open to conviction.
Luke
But we don't know how many will actually vote that way. Most have called a trial divisive and questioned whether it's legal for a former president, and that legal question isn't resolved in this reporting.
El Pulso
- Pelosi's Monday transmittal could launch Trump's trial as early as Tuesday, compressing a constitutional reckoning into days.
- McConnell's push to delay until February pits a fragile bipartisan calendar against Democrats' demand for speed.
- Democrats are divided between pressing forward and trading delay for progress on confirming Biden's Cabinet and new coronavirus relief.
- Conviction demands at least 17 Republican votes, and most of their senators doubt that trying a former president is lawful or wise.
- The trajectory hangs on whether Schumer and McConnell can agree on a start date before the trial opens on its own terms.
In the wake of a Capitol breach that left five people dead, the country is once again asking what accountability looks like when a leader's power has already passed to someone else. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is preparing to send the impeachment article against Donald Trump to the Senate, a step that could open a trial within days, while Republican leader Mitch McConnell asks for a pause until February. The question is less about the calendar than about whether a republic can hold a former president to account, and whether its senators can weigh that duty against the work of governing a nation already in motion.
On Friday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer laid out the schedule for the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump. Speaker Nancy Pelosi will send the article of impeachment to the Senate on Monday, which under current rules would allow proceedings to begin as early as Tuesday. Schumer promised a full and fair trial.
The timing is not settled. Mitch McConnell, the former majority leader, wants to push the start back to February so the former president has time to prepare his defense. His side insists the Senate, the presidency, and Trump himself all deserve a process that respects his rights and the serious questions at stake. Schumer's office says he is reviewing the proposal, while House Democrats want to move quickly so Congress can turn to other business.
Some Democrats see practical value in waiting, since it would leave room to confirm Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees and debate new coronavirus relief. Pelosi, however, insists Trump should not escape accountability simply because he has left office.
The case centers on January 6, when Trump told a rally of supporters to "fight like hell" against the certification of the election, and a mob then stormed the Capitol and interrupted the count. Five people died, including a Capitol Police officer. The House impeached Trump a week later. In the Senate, conviction would require at least 17 Republicans, and while a few are open to it, most worry a trial would be divisive and question whether it can legally proceed.
On Friday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the schedule for the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will send the article of impeachment to the Senate on Monday, and under the current rules, that step would allow the trial to begin as early as Tuesday. "The Senate will conduct a trial of the impeachment of Donald Trump," Schumer said. "It will be a full trial. It will be a fair trial."
The timeline is not settled. Mitch McConnell, who led the Senate as majority leader until Democrats took control, has proposed pushing the start of the trial back to February. His stated reason is to give the former president time to prepare and review his case. McConnell said Senate Republicans are strongly united behind the principle that the Senate as an institution, the office of the presidency, and Trump himself all deserve a full and fair process. He said that process must respect Trump's rights and the serious factual, legal and constitutional questions at stake.
A spokesperson for Schumer said he is reviewing McConnell's plan and will discuss it with him. House Democrats, for their part, have said they want to move quickly to trial so that Congress can move on.
A delay may appeal to some Democrats for practical reasons. It would give the Senate more room to confirm President Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees and to debate a new round of coronavirus relief. Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware told CNN that Democrats would consider a delay if progress is being made on confirming the team Biden has nominated, which he described as talented, seasoned and diverse.
Pelosi has taken a firm line on the larger question. She said Trump does not deserve a "get-out-of-jail card" simply because he has left office. Trump is the first American president to be impeached twice.
The case rests on the events of January 6. Shortly before the Capitol was breached, Trump addressed thousands of supporters at a rally near the White House and told them to "fight like hell" against the election results that Congress was in the middle of certifying. A mob then marched to the Capitol and rushed inside, interrupting the count. Five people died in the chaos, including a Capitol Police officer. The House impeached Trump a week later, with all Democrats and 10 Republicans voting in favor.
The arithmetic in the Senate is demanding. Conviction would require the support of at least 17 Republicans. A handful of Republican senators have indicated they are open to conviction, but most have said they believe a trial would be divisive. Many have also questioned the legality of trying a president after he has left office.
The immediate question is whether Schumer and McConnell can agree on a start date, or whether the trial opens next week as Democrats say it could. The longer-term question is whether 17 Republicans will vote to convict.
Citas Notables
It will be a full trial. It will be a fair trial.— Chuck Schumer, Senate Majority Leader
Trump does not deserve a "get-out-of-jail card" just because he has left office.— Nancy Pelosi, paraphrased
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