Trump’s impeachment trial begins Tuesday; conviction unlikely

WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial for incitement of insurrection begins on Tuesday. The process will put the votes on COVID-19 aid and Biden’s Cabinet nominees on hold.

After the U.S. Capitol siege on Jan. 6, the House impeached Trump on Jan. 13 and the Senate’s impeachment trial is scheduled to begin on Tuesday with a debate about its constitutionality. Arguments are scheduled for Wednesday. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., will be the presiding officer.

For Trump to be convicted, 67 senators would need to find him guilty and that is unlikely. Republicans hold 53 seats, Democrats hold 48 and Independents hold two. There were 48 Republicans in support of Sen. Rand Paul’s Jan. 26 measure to drop the impeachment trial.

The five Republicans who supported the impeachment trial were Senators Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Pat Toomey and Ben Sasse. If the five Republicans, and all of the Democrats and Independents, voted to convict Trump, then Democrats would be 12 votes short.

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Torres contributed to this report from Miami.