The Senate Republicans and Democrats have reached an agreement regarding the upcoming impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, for which he has expressed approval.
Former President Donald Trump and his legal team announced that they are pleased about the agreement made by Senate Republicans and Democrats in relation to the framework upon which the impeachment trial will occur.
According to The Epoch Times, the Trump legal team released a statement expressing their appreciation for the Senate Republican leadership that "stood strong for due process and secured a structure that is consistent with past precedent."
This impeachment trial structure ensures that the Trump legal team will be able to fully explain to Senators how it's "absurd and unconstitutional" to conduct an impeachment trial against Trump, who is now a "private citizen" following the end of his presidency on January 20.
On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that the upper chamber closed a bipartisan deal to allow the impeachment trial to commence one day before the proceedings are set to start. This agreement was reached by the Trump legal team, House Democratic impeachment managers, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Schumer said, "All parties have agreed to a structure that will ensure a fair and honest Senate impeachment trial of the former president."
In January, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) questioned the constitutionality of the impeachment trial of former President Trump. When asked to vote on the constitutionality of the proceedings, the result revealed a 55-45 vote for the proceedings to take place, but it also highlighted the fact that nearly 50% of the chamber believes that the impeachment proceedings are in fact unconstitutional.
The Epoch Times reported that the Trump legal team led by attorneys David Schoen, Bruce Castor, and Michael T. van der Veen said in a filing on Monday that the article of impeachment thrown at former President Trump was "problematic" as it combined several alleged offenses into a single article of impeachment. The lawyers added that trying Trump as a private citizen will cause the Senate to "[act] as judge and jury rather than a legislative body."
The Trump legal team also claims that the impeachment trial is a "selfish attempt by Democratic leadership" to take advantage of the horrified reaction of the entire country following the riot at Capitol Hill on January 6 - which clearly involvedLeftists fromAntifa, BLM, and more.
An impeachment trial such as the one in which the former President is accused of insurrection leading up to the attack on Capitol Hill will proceed with the House impeachment managers acting as the prosecution and the Trump legal team as the defense. NPR reported that House Speaker Nancy Pelosy (D-CA) appointed nine Democrats to serve as impeachment trial managers, who presented the article of impeachment to the senate on January 25.
On Tuesday, February 9 at 1 p.m., the Trump legal team and the prosecutors will be given a total of four hours to debate the constitutionality of the trial, after which it will be decided if the Senate has the power to try the former president. If the result is a yes vote, the trial will proceed on Wednesday, February 10, marking the beginning of 16 hours for each party to present their case.
Following the presentation by both the Trump legal team and the prosecution, senators are given four hours to question both parties followed by another four hours to accommodate arguments on whether the Senate will allow motions to call on witnesses and documents if the impeachment trial managers require it.
The impeachment managers are looking to prove that former President Trump is solely responsible for the attack at Capitol Hill (although some experts in the law say he isn't responsible for it). The impeachment managers, however, are hoping that the Senate decides to disqualify him from ever holding a federal office position again, NPR reported.
The Trump legal team, on the other hand, is committed to defending him, citing that his speech during the January 6 rally is within the limits of the First Amendment and that this entire impeachment trial is merely "political theater."
