Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has blocked a quick impeachment trial for President Donald Trump but has not ruled out voting to convict him.
A spokesman for Mr McConnell said the leading Republican had informed Democrats that he would block their effort to quickly call the chamber back into an emergency session to put Mr Trump on trial.
The House of Representatives voted 232-197 to impeach Mr Trump, and Mr McConnell’s move means the Senate trial is all but certain to be delayed until after Joe Biden’s inauguration as president on January 20.
(Kevin S. Vineys/AP)
Yet in a letter to his Republican colleagues, Mr McConnell acknowledged he had not made up his mind about whether Mr Trump should be convicted of the House’s charge that he incited insurrection by exhorting supporters who violently attacked the Capitol last week, resulting in five deaths and a disruption of Congress.
Voting on an article of impeachment for “incitement of insurrection” is under way.
During a debate in the House of Representatives, speaker Nancy Pelosi asked Republicans and Democrats to “search their souls” ahead of the historic vote. Mr Trump would be the first American president to be impeached twice.
Ms Pelosi called Mr Trump a “clear and present danger to the nation we all love”.
Actual removal seems unlikely before the January 20 inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
A spokesman for Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said the Republican leader would not agree to bring the chamber back immediately, all but ensuring a Senate trial could not begin at least until January 19.