US senate to proceed with Trump’s impeachment trial

The United States senate, on Tuesday, voted in favour of allowing the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump to proceed.

The margin was, however, relatively slim, as the lawmakers voted 56 to 44 in favour of proceeding with the trial.

Trump is being charged with inciting the invasion of Capitol Hill, which occurred on January 6, and led to the deaths of at least five persons, while several others were injured.

On January 13, the US house of representatives had voted 232 to 197 to impeach Trump for a record second time.

While the impeachment resolution charged Trump with just one article: “incitement of insurrection”, he is now expected to stand trial before the senate, during which he may face conviction, and could be banned from contesting for political office in the future.

Earlier on Tuesday, David Schoen, counsel to Trump, had called for the dismissal of the trial, stating that the move will “tear the country apart”.

The lawyer also accused the Democrats of “hating” Trump.

In a memorandum spanning 78 pages, dated February 8, 2021, Trump’s defence team listed reasons the impeachment trial against their client could not stand.

“The real truth is that the people who criminally breached the Capitol did so of their own accord and for their own reasons, and they are being criminally prosecuted,” an excerpt from the memo reads.

“While never allowing ‘a good crisis’ to go to waste, the Democratic leadership is incapable of understanding that not everything can always be blamed on their political adversaries, no matter how very badly they may wish to exploit any moment of uncertainty on the part of the American people.”