Trump’s impeachment postponed, trial promises to be an obstacle to cooperation

The trial of former President Donald Trump’s impeachment in the US Senate hangs like a dark storm cloud over the start of the administration of his successor, Joe Biden. The unique impeachment trial against a president who has already left will begin the week of February 8 – a two-week delay. Democratic and Republican leaders agreed on Friday, their first deal since Biden was sworn in on Wednesday.

The agreement between both parties on the timing of the proceedings arises from a shared interest. The delay gives Trump time to prepare his defense, as his Republican allies had advocated. In addition, it allows senators to focus on Biden’s priorities first, such as confirming his squad of ministers and a support package to combat the corona pandemic and economic crisis. That’s what the White House wanted.

Monday to Senate

The so-called article of impeachment Trump, the charge of instigating an uprising in connection with the storming of the Capitol by his supporters on Jan. 6, will be handed over to the Senate on Monday by Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House of Representatives. The House voted to impeach Trump on January 13. The official start of the trial is followed by a 14-day break. The process is expected to take about a week, or at most two.

“We all want to leave this terrible chapter in our country’s history behind,” said Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Senate Democrats, of the violent storming of the Capitol that killed five people. “But healing and unity can only come when there is truth and responsibility. This process will ensure that. ”

Polariserend

However, the Senate trial promises to become extremely polarizing – an obstacle to reconciliation and cooperation between the parties, as Biden has called for. Although his ministerial appointments have so far been approved by the Senate with relative ease, cooperation threatens to run aground on the ambitious $ 1,900 billion (about $ 1,560 billion) aid package that Biden plans to implement to get the virus under control and the U.S. to boost the economy.

Republicans think that amount is too exorbitant. They believe that Biden’s high stakes are inconsistent with his stated desire to reach a deal between both parties. Many Democrats, on the other hand, believe that Biden should act energetically to address the crisis, now that their party has a narrow majority in both houses of Congress. They believe he should not waste time in difficult negotiations with the Republicans – as President Barack Obama attempted 12 years ago in the months after taking office, over a bailout package during the great recession.

Also read: These are the first files on President Biden’s desk

In addition, the impeachment process threatens to nip some goodwill in Washington after Biden’s swearing-in. An intense row over Trump’s fate, which will claim all the attention, is the last thing Biden has been waiting for – even though he shares the view of many Democrats and some Republicans that Trump should be held accountable for his role in instigating until the uprising. “The more time we have to get going to tackle the crises, the better,” said Biden.

High threshold

It takes a two-thirds majority in the Senate to condemn Trump, who never acknowledged his electoral defeat and spread lies about presidential election fraud. Assuming all fifty Democrats in the Senate will vote to be sentenced, 17 Republicans should also vote – a high threshold that is unlikely to be met. Should that happen, Trump could be banned by a simple majority from ever running for president again.

Mitch McConnell, the leader of the Republicans in the Senate, has hinted that he is open to condemning the former president. That would help the Republican Party break with Trump. However, Republican allies of Trump consider it unconstitutional to condemn Trump after his departure. They also complained that the impeachment process was rushed, without Trump getting a chance to defend himself. That procedural argument has been dispelled with the two-week delay, which may give McConnell a chance to get more Republicans on board.

Trump, on the recommendation of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, has hired South Carolina attorney Karl Bowers. As a former president, he can no longer rely on the lawyers of the White House, who defended him a year ago in his first impeachment trial over the Ukraine affair. Other lawyers of the time have now also thanked.

Martyr

In his first impeachment trial, Trump was acquitted by the Senate – which critics say encouraged him to further violate norms and laws. Opponents fear that any acquittal in the upcoming trial will rehabilitate him after he left Washington in disrepute last week. On the other hand, a possible conviction could, on the contrary, give him the status of a martyr among his supporters, perpetuated by the political elite.

Trump’s allies who continue to support him even after the storming of the Capitol therefore portray the process as a witch hunt. According to Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson, the Democrats are opting for “revenge” instead of reconciliation. Proponents of conviction on the contrary believe that incitement by the president should not go unpunished.

–