China News Service, February 8th. According to a comprehensive report by Qiaobao.com, the US Senate's second impeachment trial against former President Trump will begin on February 9.
On the one hand, some key questions about the trial, such as how long the trial will last, and whether witnesses will be summoned, have not been answered; on the other hand, several senators have agreed before the impeachment trial, saying they will not support it. Convict Trump.
On January 20, 2021 local time, Washington, USA, Trump boarded the "Marine Corps One" presidential helicopter.
What will the impeachment trial be like?
Key issues to be resolved
The US media pointed out that the final outcome of the trial does not seem to be doubtful: Trump will be acquitted by the Senate for the second time because he is far from reaching the two-thirds of the votes required for conviction.
But this does not mean that there will be no dramatic changes next week or the next two weeks, because the impeachment manager of the House of Representatives detailed the destruction caused by the fatal riot on January 6 and argued that "Trump is sedition Who ransacked the instigator of the Capitol".
Democrats in the House of Representatives sought to allow Trump to testify in court, but were rejected by Trump's legal team.
Democrats are unlikely to risk the legal battle and subpoena the former president.
However, this request highlights the obstacle that Schumer, the majority leader of the Senate, and McConnell, the minority leader of the house, still face in the first step of the trial, and that is the trial rules.
According to the report, both parties hope to reach a bipartisan agreement on the limiting factors of the trial, including matters such as the time for the impeachment manager and defense team to debate and how to call witnesses.
Although the impeachment manager in the House of Representatives is considering a process that may last for two weeks, some Democrats in the Senate are pushing for a faster time frame.
The expectation of all parties is that the second impeachment trial against Trump will be shorter than the first trial lasting three weeks.
Will not convict Trump?
Multiple Senate Republicans speak out
According to reports, a number of senators agreed before the impeachment trial on February 7 that the impeachment trial was a waste of time, and argued that the former president’s fierce remarks before the Capitol riots could not make him criticize the January 6th impeachment trial. Responsible for violence.
Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi stated that he believes Trump should and will be acquitted; Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky also refuted Trump The trial held that it was a farce with "zero chance of conviction".
In fact, immediately after the congressional riots, many senators including McConnell immediately condemned the violence.
However, with Trump stepping down as the presidency, Republicans have shown little political will to take further action, such as conviction of Trump's impeachment to prevent him from running in the future.
The US media pointed out that previously, 45 of the 50 Republican senators expressed support for a proposal to dismiss the trial, which basically heralded the final voting result of this trial.
The picture shows an architect cleaning up the dust on the bust of Martin Luther King Jr. in the rotunda of the Capitol on January 12, local time in Washington, USA
Whatever the result
Why is the second impeachment trial important?
Even if the result of impeachment seems predictable, why is the second impeachment trial still important?
"For historians, the purpose of this trial is to provide more evidence and sworn documents." said Carol Anderson, a professor at Emory University who studies African Americans. "When the senators meet When looking at these evidences, it will also make us feel the strength and weakness of American democracy."
Representative Val Demings, who served as the manager of impeachment affairs in Trump's first trial, said that the possibility of acquittal does not mean that the trial should be abandoned before it starts.
A poll released by the Associated Press' NORC Public Affairs Research Center last week showed that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe Trump is at least responsible for the congressional riots.