Trump’s Senate Impeachment Trial Begins Tuesday

On Tuesday, the Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump will begin, which many have already predicted will end in Trump’s acquittal.

Donald Trump faces charges of “incitement of insurrection,” which pertains to the January 6th Capitol breach.

The Senate trial is the second in a two-step legislative process. Last month, the House voted 232-197 to impeach Trump for allegedly inciting an insurrection. By law, the House only needs a simple majority to impeach a President. However, for the Senate to convict a President, the votes in the Upper House will need to be at least 2/3 of all members.

The impeachment trial revolves around events that occurred on January 6th, 2020. On that day Donald Trump addressed supporters during a rally. He spoke to what he believed was a “stolen election,” and asked his supporters to “peacefully and patriotically” protest the electoral college vote-certification – a process that was occurring on Capitol Hill.

After Trump’s speech, the crowd at the Capitol became unruly and eventually breached the Capitol. The unlawful breach left a police officer dead, a protester dead and several injured. Other people died that day due to medical reasons.

Trump’s attorneys have argued that the entire Senate trial is unconstitutional because Trump is no longer President, and the purpose of a Senate impeachment trial is to determine whether or not to remove a sitting President.

Additionally, Trump’s attorneys have highlighted the fact that Trump’s speech was protected under the First Amendment. Trump was asked by impeachment managers to provide a witness testimony, to which Trump declined.

According to an Epoch Times tally, 35 Republicans are assumed to be in favor of acquittal. This means Democrats will have to persuade 17 Republican Senators to reach the number of votes needed to convict Trump, which is a feat that will most likely not happen.