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Senator Leahy to preside over Trump's impeachment trial


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Senator Leahy to preside over Trump's impeachment trial

 

2021-01-25T221916Z_1_LYNXMPEH0O1H3_RTROPTP_4_USA-TRUMP-IMPEACHMENT-LEAHY.JPG

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) asks a question during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled "Police Use of Force and Community Relations" in Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 16, 2020. Tom Williams/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate's longest-serving member, Democrat Patrick Leahy, will preside over the upcoming impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, Leahy said on Monday.

 

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts presided at Trump's first impeachment trial last year, as the Constitution requires in presidential impeachments. But senators can preside when the person being impeached is not the current president of the United States, a Senate source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

 

Leahy, 80, a lawmaker from Vermont who took office in 1975, is the senator with the most seniority in either party.

 

"When I preside over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, I will not waver from my constitutional and sworn obligations to administer the trial with fairness, in accordance with the Constitution and the laws," Leahy said in a statement.

 

The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday will deliver an article of impeachment to the Senate, accusing Trump of inciting insurrection in a fiery speech to his followers before this month's deadly attack on the Capitol. But the trial is not expected to get started until Feb. 9.

 

Leahy will still be able to vote in the trial, an aide said, noting that senators vote on all matters when presiding over the Senate.

 

But some Republicans questioned the arrangement. "How does a Senator preside, like a judge, and serve as juror too?" Senator John Cornyn wrote on Twitter.

 

When the Senate removed U.S. District Judge Thomas Porteous in a 2010 impeachment trial, Senator Daniel Inouye both presided over the trial and voted. When that was pointed out to Cornyn on Twitter on Monday, the senator replied: "He was a judge, not a former president."

 

Leahy is president pro tempore of the Senate, meaning he is empowered to preside over Senate sessions in the absence of Vice President Kamala Harris. That duty is usually rotated, however, among senators of the majority party.

 

Being president pro tempore also makes Leahy, who is the senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the third in line of presidential succession, after the vice president and speaker of the House.

 

(Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Peter Cooney)

 

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-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-26
 
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trump should continue to own the party. He can ensure that no Republican will ever win the Presidency. Interesting the House is ignorantly believing he can help win back the Hous  with trumps help but that is NOT going to happen because trump NOT on the ticket will have the effect of the House losing seats in 2022. No way Biden loses re-election against trump either

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14 minutes ago, earlinclaifornia said:

We agree that he will get the acquittal but the reason is NOTa nothing burger. His followers would make the Republicans who vote to convict pay bigly. Spineless is more accurate than burgers.

"Train Wreck" is the most accurate. The Democrats are stuck with this mess and there's no way out. Pelosi is on record saying that impeaching a former President who won 70++ million votes will unite the country. Wrong. People with triple digit IQ's see the folly of the Democratic party's actions. The Democrats brought this on themselves and they will pay the price.

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8 hours ago, earlinclaifornia said:

We agree that he will get the acquittal but the reason is NOTa nothing burger. His followers would make the Republicans who vote to convict pay bigly. Spineless is more accurate than burgers.

Seems we agree on something. Any GOP senator that votes to convict will, IMO, pay "bigly". IMO they should be expecting to be removed at their next election.

However, I would apply "spineless" to the Democrats that go along with this, IMO, revenge trial, despite knowing it is wrong to do so.

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7 hours ago, Jingthing said:

What's wrong to do is to incite an insurrection against your own country. Mr. trump is guilty as sin. Republicans know that too but they either like it or are just going along out of fear of the disgraced ex-president primarying them. They had their chance to divorce themselves from Mr. trump. They already blew it. There is almost no place left in the republican party for anyone that isn't still going along with the cult of Mr. trump. It's true that still represents a large base. But large doesn't mean a majority, before, now, or EVER. 

 

There is no evidence President Trump is guilty. Listen to his speech.

 

There is no evidence that a cult of President Trump exists.

 

You are correct, though, that there is no place left in the Republican party for anyone who doesn't support President Trump. And that's a good thing, good for the party, good for the USA.

 

Edited by ExpatOK
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16 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

One of the most partisan Democrat senators in the chamber...there goes any pretense of fairness and objectivity. 

You can say the same about pretty much all GOP senators.  NO fairness and NO objectivity.

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