[ad_1]
Published in: Last update:
Washington (AFP)
Democrats handed over the indictment against former US President Donald Trump to the Senate Monday night, in a move that officially marks the start of his historic trial as part of an impeachment mechanism for accusing him of “inciting rebellion” in context. of violence. witnessed by the headquarters of Congress when his supporters swept him on January 6 / January.
Trump is formally subpoenaed by the Senate as of Tuesday, but the trial will not begin until February 9.
On that day too, senators are sworn in to become jurors of this historic mechanism for two reasons, as it is the first time that an American president has been subjected to two mechanisms of impeachment, and the first time that a person has been tried. president after his departure. the White House.
The nine legislators appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, “prosecutors”, carried the impeachment statement and passed it in solemn silence Monday night through the long hallways decorated with plaques and statues that lead to the Senate and assaulted by pro-Trump protesters in less than three weeks. make.
Then its president, Jamie Ruskin, read aloud the indictment against the former president, which still has a strong impact on members of both houses of Congress who were themselves witnesses and even targets of acts of violence.
The Democratic Representative for Maryland declared that Trump incited “violence” and “exposed the security of the United States and its institutions to grave danger,” referring in particular to the former president’s “false statements” in which he denied the victory of his opponent. Joe Biden in the November presidential election.
Trump is accused of inciting his supporters to attack the headquarters of Congress at a time when its members were backing Biden’s victory.
Before the attack that left five dead, Trump told protesters: “You will never get your country back if you are weak. You must show strength and be strong.”
A week after the attack, the House of Representatives voted on January 13 to impeach Trump as part of an impeachment mechanism.
The scenes of violence shocked the United States and led many Republicans to denounce the erratic behavior of the billionaire.
But his conviction in the Senate at this point seems unlikely, as he remains very popular with his voters, supported by key members of the Senate.
Democrats now control Congress, but most of them are very weak in the Senate, divided evenly between fifty seats for them and fifty for their Republican opponents, and in the event of a tie in any vote, Vice President Kamala Harris can tip the balance. in his favor.
But it takes 67 votes to convict Trump, a goal that seems difficult to achieve.
Although Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell did not rule out voting in favor of convicting the former president, he does not intend to publicly pressure Republicans.
“It’s a stupid trial,” Republican Sen. Marco Rubio told Fox News on Sunday, warning that “the country is currently burning fires and it’s like pouring oil on a fire.”
Some even hope to block the start of the trial, arguing that the trial of a former president is unconstitutional.
The leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, responded that this argument was “ridiculous” because “this theory (…) is related to giving a + constitutional acquittal + ballot to any president who commits an impeachment offense” .
Senator Mitt Romney, one of Trump’s staunch critics, is one of the few Republicans in favor of the impeachment mechanism, yet to announce how he plans to vote.
This former presidential candidate was the only Republican who voted to convict Trump during his trial as part of the first impeachment mechanism in February 2020 on the background to the Ukraine case.
Later, the president was acquitted.
– The trial begins on February 9 –
While Chief Justice John Roberts presided over Trump’s first trial, his second trial will be presided over by Acting Senate President Patrick Leahy, which is a traditional option for impeachment mechanisms that target officials other than the president. , as has the Democratic senator. made clear, but faces protests from some Republicans.
The trial was postponed until February 9, according to an agreement between Republicans and Democrats.
On the one hand, this period allows Trump to prepare his defense, and allows Joe Biden to launch his presidency with the confirmation of more members of his administration in their positions and the approval of the first bills in Congress.
Biden has so far declined to comment on Trump’s impeachment mechanism, but told CNN on Monday: “I think this should happen.”
Before the impeachment ceremony, the Senate approved the appointment of former Federal Reserve Chief Janet Yellen as Secretary of the Treasury to vote Tuesday for Anthony Blinken as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
© 2021 AFP
