Impeachment trial begins, bipartisan vote deemed constitutional by Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate voted 56-44 today to decide that the second impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump is in fact constitutional.
Trump’s defense attorney’s tried to argue that the trial be dismissed, claiming that the Senate did not have any jurisdiction over the trial of a private citizen. To begin the debate, House Impeachment Managers played an extension of clips from the deadly riots on Jan. 6, saying, “if that’s not an impeachable offense, there is no such thing.”
Six Republican Senators went across the aisle and voted alongside Democrats to hear the trial. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, voted against hearing the trial- contradicting his statements earlier this year regarding this round of impeachment.
The Senate will reconvene at noon on Wednesday, and both Trump’s legal team and House Impeachment Managers will have 16 hours of presentation in front of lawmakers.
