The Quick and the Dead theatlantic.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theatlantic.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Problems With Convicting Trump After He Leaves Office
Democrats in the House of Representatives have impeached [1] Donald Trump, making him the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. They accused the president of encouraging his supporters to attack Congress on Jan. 6. Ten congressional Republicans voted to impeach Trump this time around.
But the Senate is not likely to begin Trump’s impeachment trial before his term in office expires. This is because the Senate’s current procedural posture [2] prevents it from starting the trial absent the unanimous consent of all senators until 1 p.m. on Jan. 20, one hour after President-Elect Joe Biden is sworn into office as the next president. GOP Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has reportedly [3] informed Republican senators that the Senate will not begin the trial until Jan. 20 or 21.