Trump impeachment begins on the 10th… 32 Hour Fireworks Workshop

-The Senate impeachment trial on charges of inciting civil war against former US President Donald Trump will begin in earnest on the 10th (local time). The Senate plans to proceed quickly, and it is expected to finish next week, which is about a week as early as possible.

On the 8th, Senate Democratic Party leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Republican leader Mitch McConnell agreed on a schedule of impeachment trials against former President Trump, the Hill et al. reported on the day.

According to the agreement, the House Impeachment Prosecution Committee, which served as the prosecutor’s office, and the former President Trump’s defense team will fight for a total of 32 hours for a total of four days, 16 hours each for two days from the 10th.

This is going to be faster than ever. For the first impeachment trials of former President Trump (the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of parliament) and the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton, the two sides were given 24 hours for three days each. Democrats and Republicans agreed to allow the summons of witnesses. Debates and votes can take place on whether to issue a subpoena. Earlier, the Impeachment Prosecution Commission requested that former President Trump testify, but was rejected. The Senate did not specifically say on the day whether to call other witnesses.

It also accepted a claim from former President Trump’s defense against proceedings during the Jewish Sabbath. Accordingly, the schedule is suspended on the 13th and resumed on the afternoon of the 14th.

Subsequently, the senators who act as jurors are expected to ask questions or have a hearing time on both sides. In the first impeachment trial, I asked and answered questions for two days. According to the rules, senators are allowed to ask questions for four hours.

Finally, after the two sides have two hours of final pleading, the Senate enters the final vote.

If no witnesses are called, the impeachment trial process is expected to be completed next week.

Earlier, the House of Representatives, whose majority Democratic Party was in office, passed a bill of impeachment on the 13th of last month, when former President Trump was in office. It is accused of inciting a civil war that instigated a riot by supporters invading Congress on the 6th of last month. As a result, former President Trump was disgraced as the first two-time impeached president in US history.

The Senate first decides on the alleged impeachment and votes on whether to deprive the federal office of election if convicted. The key issues are whether remarks that seem to promote riots constitute a civil war agitation, or whether they are protected by freedom of expression under the First Amendment, and whether the impeachment of the retired president is unconstitutional.

The approval of the impeachment bill requires two-thirds of 67 people, and the deprivation of the election right requires a majority of 51 people. However, the public opinion is that the impeachment bill is unlikely to pass as it requires 17 votes from the Republican Party to pass the impeachment bill.

On the other hand, it is unusual for the acting senator Patrick Reich to serve as the judge for this impeachment trial. The U.S. Constitution requires the Chief Justice of the Federal Supreme Court (John Roberts) to preside over the impeachment trial, but there is no provision for an outgoing president, which is the result of the agreement between representatives of both parties.

[서울=뉴시스]