Trump faces trial after a bipartisan impeachment
President Trump, who became the first U.S. president to be impeached twice, is facing a trial in the Senate that could disqualify him from running for office again.
The trial will probably not start before the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden next Wednesday, leaving a host of next steps up in the air. The Senate’s Republican leader in effect handed responsibility for the process to Democrats, who will soon control the chamber. Here’s what comes next.
A divided party: “The president bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters,” said the House’s top Republican, Kevin McCarthy. Ten Republicans broke from the president in a remarkable way, and voted to impeach. It wasn’t anywhere near a majority, but as David Leonhardt, the writer of The Morning, put it, it was “an unusually bipartisan” affair, with more defections from his party than any previous president besides Richard Nixon.
Police force in crisis: As security measures envelop Washington, the chief of police for the Capitol building and two top security officials resigned, three officers have been suspended, and more than a dozen are being investigated for their actions during the riot at the Capitol.
The next administration: Mr. Biden has denounced the attack but has stayed largely removed from the proceedings, keeping his focus on battling the coronavirus pandemic and reviving a faltering economy.
The New York Times