WASHINGTON, D.C. (WCBS 880) — House Democrats on Monday formally delivered the impeachment case against former President Donald Trump to the Senate, marking the start of his historic trial.
House prosecutors delivered the sole impeachment charge of “incitement of insurrection,” charging the former president with inciting the deadly riots at the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6.
The delivery officially began the process leading to Trump’s second impeachment trial. He is now the only president to have been impeached twice.
What happened on Monday?
Impeachment managers appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who will serve as prosecutors in the trial, made a ceremonial walk from the House chamber to the Senate chamber to deliver the article of impeachment.
The impeachment managers are: Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Diana DeGett (D-Colo.), Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) and Stacey Plaskett (D-U.S. Virgin Islands).
Rep. Raskin, who is the lead impeachment manager, then read the single article of impeachment against Trump on the Senate floor before asking for the nine to be dismissed.
What happens next?
On Tuesday, all 100 senators will be sworn in as jurors for the trial and a summons will be issued to former President Trump for his response. He will have exactly one week to respond.
How long will the trial take?
Arguments in the Senate trial will begin the week of Feb. 8, but after that, it remains unclear how long the trial will last for – especially since the trial is likely to test a Republican party that is still sorting itself out in the post-Trump era.
While nearly all Democrats are still vocally denouncing Trump for allegedly inciting the deadly riots, many Republicans have since cooled their criticisms.
Still, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said he wants Trump’s second trial to be over fairly quickly.
Who will preside over the trial?
Since Trump is no longer in office, the trial will not be presided over by Supreme Court Justice John Roberts like last time. Instead, president pro tempore of the Senate (usually the longest-serving senator of the majority party) will preside over the trial.
The longest-serving senator of the Democratic party is Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont.
Who will represent Trump at trial?
The president will be represented South Carolina attorney Butch Bowers, who is best known for representing South Carolina's then-Gov. Mark Sanford in 2009 when the Republican-controlled Legislature considered impeaching him after he lied to his aides about hiking the Appalachian Trail when he was actually with his mistress in Argentina.
Sanford was ultimately not impeached but, was censured by the Legislature in South Carolina.
None of the members of the trial team that defended Trump during his first impeachment trial last year offered to participate in this process.
Rudy Giuliani said he'd be interested in helping to defend Trump but, said he also could be a witness because he spoke at the Jan. 6 event.
Will Trump attend the trial?
The former president can, but it's not clear if he will.
Will there be Republicans voting to convict?
A total of 67 votes are required under the Constitution, if all 100 senators are present and voting.
According to the Associated Press, recent Republican opposition to the impeachment proceedings indicates that many GOP senators will likely vote to acquit Trump.
Democrats need the support of at least 17 Republicans to convict the former president.