The US Senate rejected the initiative to recognize the impeachment procedure of former US President Donald Trump as unconstitutional.
55 senators out of 100 opposed this proposal, 45 were in favor.
Mostly Democratic senators voted against the initiative, but five Republicans joined them - Mitt Romney, Ben Sass, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Pat Toomey.
Note that following the results of the Senate elections held simultaneously with the presidential elections in November 2020, the Democrats' positions in the upper house of Congress strengthened.
Senate seats are now split 50/50 between Democrats and Republicans.
Donald Trump needs a two-thirds majority to declare impeachment.
"Legal dilemma"
The author of the initiative, Republican Senator Rand Paul, believes that Trump's impeachment procedure is contrary to the country's fundamental law, since the politician has already left the post of head of state.
According to the senator, the solidarity with his position of 45 Republicans "suggests that the idea of impeachment is doomed to failure."
“If you voted to declare this procedure unconstitutional, then how can you in principle hope to find someone guilty under this procedure?” Paul said, commenting on the voting results in the Senate.
Rand Paul
Reuters
© Toni Sandys
He added that 45 Republicans, "almost the entire caucus, 95 percent", voted to support the view that the entire procedure was contrary to the Constitution.
“This is a great victory for us.
Democrats can continue to waste their energy, but the results of this vote indicate that this case is over, the trial is over, ”the senator is sure.
However, Paul's opponents reject these arguments.
Senator Susan Collins of the Republican Party, who opposed the initiative, said she spoke with experts on constitutional law on the issue.
"(I) came to the conclusion that the text of the Constitution, the purpose of the (impeachment) clause and the precedent in the Senate building all support the fact that the trial should continue, especially since the House of Representatives launched the procedure while the President was still in power." Collins pointed out.
The leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, spoke more categorically.
He stated that the argument that the continuation of the impeachment procedure after the president's resignation is unconstitutional "has been vigorously refuted by constitutional lawyers of a wide variety of political views."
"It (the argument) runs counter to existing precedents, historical practice and basic common sense," added Schumer.
However, experts doubt that the situation with the impeachment procedure can be interpreted so unambiguously.
As the director of the Franklin Roosevelt Foundation for the Study of the United States at Moscow State University, Yuri Rogulev, noted in a commentary to RT, the current situation is exceptional and creates a legal incident.
“This is not only a political but also a legal dilemma.
From the point of view of common sense, impeachment of the former president is nonsense.
Therefore, the question of the constitutionality of this process was raised to a vote, ”the expert explained.
Donald and Melania Trump
© REUTERS / Leah Millis
There was only one precedent in the history of the United States when the head of state left his post ahead of schedule under the threat of impeachment.
In 1974, President Richard Nixon resigned in the Watergate affair.
The scandal arose after it became known that during the election campaign, the Republicans organized surveillance of the headquarters of the National Committee of the Democratic Party.
Nixon resigned on his own, without waiting for a Senate impeachment decision.
According to Vladimir Vasiliev, chief researcher at the Institute of the United States and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Republican vote in the Senate showed that, in general, the party is committed to protecting Trump.
“Senator Rand Paul tried to consolidate the Republicans through a procedural issue, and he succeeded.
The fact that five Republicans opposed Trump is nothing new - these are his old opponents from the Republican Party, ”the expert noted in a commentary on RT.
"A Terrible Chapter in History"
Recall that the House of Representatives in mid-January has already approved a draft resolution declaring impeachment to Donald Trump.
232 Congressmen voted in support of the document, 197 against. Of those who spoke in favor of Trump's early resignation, ten legislators belonged to the Republican Party.
Congressmen accused Trump of inciting riot during the January 6 events.
A congressional meeting was scheduled for January 6, 2021, at which legislators were to finally approve the results of the presidential election and Joe Biden's victory.
At the same time, Donald Trump refused to recognize the official results of the vote.
January 6 riots in Washington
© REUTERS / Shannon Stapleton
Trump announced in advance for this day a rally of his supporters in Washington.
Speaking to the audience, the politician again announced the falsification of the voting results and called on people to peacefully proceed to the Capitol.
However, riots erupted as the march neared the congress building.
Some activists broke into parliament.
The riots killed five people, including a police officer.
Voting in the upper house of Congress did not take place while Trump was still president.
The Senate was on vacation, and then-Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not call his colleagues on this matter.
Recall that until January 20, the Republican Party had the majority of mandates in the upper house of Congress.
A resolution to impeach Donald Trump was introduced to the Senate on January 25.
Although the interim head of the Senate, Patrick Leahy, announced the House's readiness to "begin the process," the procedure was postponed until February.
This decision was made to enable Trump's lawyers to familiarize themselves with the case.
As the leader of the Democrats in the Senate Chuck Schumer said earlier, the process will start in the second week of February.
Speaking about the events of January 6, the politician also added that everyone wants to leave behind "a terrible chapter in history."
“But healing and unity are only achievable when truth and responsibility are respected — which is what this trial will provide,” Schumer said.
Inter-party struggle
However, the likelihood that Trump will indeed be impeached is low.
This opinion was expressed yesterday by his successor as President of the United States Joe Biden.
The current head of the White House does not think 17 Republican senators will vote to impeach Trump.
This number of votes from the Republican Party is necessary for the Senate to make a two-thirds decision to impeach.
Nevertheless, Biden believes that the started procedure should be brought to the end.
"I believe that (the trial of impeachment. -
RT
) should be held," - quoted by the words of Biden, the TV channel CNN.
Joe Biden
© REUTERS / Kevin Lamarque
Biden acknowledged that the proceedings could affect his subpoena and affect appointments in his administration.
However, the politician believes that "the consequences would be worse if it (the proceedings. -
RT
) did not take place."
Experts note that the outcome of the procedure is indeed a foregone conclusion - it is obvious that the number of Republican votes necessary for impeachment will not be collected.
This opinion is shared by Vladimir Vasiliev.
“At the same time, the confrontation between Trump and the Democratic Party has already turned into a struggle between Democrats and Republicans.
The entire Republican Party is now in a weak position.
And although the party elite had their disagreements with Trump, the Republicans realized that by abandoning him, the party could drown itself, ”the expert said.
Yuri Rogulev adheres to a similar point of view.
According to the analyst, "Republicans are opposed to impeachment, as it will hit not only Trump, but the entire party."
According to Vasiliev, the continuation of the impeachment procedure will significantly strengthen the struggle between the Republican and Democratic parties.
“The procedure finally institutionalizes the split.
Indeed, during this process, Trump will also launch a counteroffensive and can rehabilitate himself in connection with the events of January 6, "the expert concluded.