"Donald J. Trump, the President of the United States, is impeached for serious crimes and misdemeanors. Democrat Adam Schiff officially presented the indictment against the President on Thursday to the Senate desk. In the process, the head of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, will swear in the 100 senators, thus launching the trial for the impeachment of the American president - the serious things will not start until Tuesday, however. If the American president should ultimately escape a dismissal, the coming weeks could hold surprises, especially if major witnesses were heard, a crucial point that should be the subject of a fierce battle.
"Donald J. Trump has abused the power of the presidency."
Lead House impeachment manager Adam Schiff reads the articles of impeachment on the Senate floor, charging President Trump with "high crimes and misdemeanors." https://t.co/lmJgZSs2bJ pic.twitter.com/bnuKR7VZiy
Donald Trump has been charged with "abuse of power" and "obstructing the work of Congress". He is accused of having “betrayed” his oath of president and the Constitution by “soliciting the interference of a foreign government, Ukraine, (…) for his personal political gain in the 2020 election.” According to Democrats, the American president "put pressure" on the Ukrainian president Zelensky "so that he announces the opening of an investigation on Joe Biden", whose son worked for the gas company Burisma. Donald Trump then allegedly sought to "cover his tracks" by blocking the Congressional investigation, refusing to release documents and blocking the testimony of key witnesses.
A trial without suspense
Like Bill Clinton in 1999, Donald Trump should escape being removed from office. The Republicans are indeed a block around him and have the majority. The math is relentless: with 47 votes out of 100, the Democrats need 20 Republicans to achieve the two-thirds majority necessary to condemn - and dismiss - a president, a nuclear scenario that never happened.
Surprises are not excluded, however. Democrats are expected to table a motion next week to call witnesses they have been unable to hear in the House, such as former White House adviser John Bolton and Donald Trump's chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. . To be approved, the motion will need only a simple majority of 51 votes - and therefore the reinforcement of four Republican senators. Several, including Mitt Romney, have indicated that they support it.
Cookies and New Documents
In addition to witnesses, the Democrats will also seek to admit new evidence into their case, including a series of documents released this week related to the mission of Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani in Ukraine. For several months, the latter sought to find compromising information about Joe Biden and his son. He notably requested a meeting with President Zelensky. In an official letter, he said he acted in his role as "personal attorney" for Donald Trump, saying that the White House tenant was "aware" and had "approved" his request.
These revelations undermine the defense of Donald Trump, who said his lawyer acted on his own. Will this be enough to convince one or two Republican dissidents to vote in favor of the dismissal of the American president, thus tarnishing his acquittal? Verdict expected within two to five weeks.
World
"Today, we are making history", the dossier arrives at the Senate
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