At today’s Senate Republican lunch meeting, Mitch McConnell (with an assist from impeachment vet Lindsey Graham) gave an Impeachment Trials 101 lesson. His lessons:
They’ll sit 6 days per week (sundays off) starting at 12:30pm every day. It’s expected to take several weeks.
They’ll sit 6 days per week (sundays off) starting at 12:30pm every day. It’s expected to take several weeks.
The House lawyers are essentially the prosecution. White House lawyers the defense. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will act as judge.
Senators are the jury and *cannot talk* throughout. Mitch apparently warned talkers would be ejected.
Senators are the jury and *cannot talk* throughout. Mitch apparently warned talkers would be ejected.
On a motion to dismiss the trial, this can only be brought forward by either the House or White House lawyers, not a senator.
This seems unlikely to fly, as multiple Republicans have told me the Senate has a duty to take up articles of impeachment from the House.
This seems unlikely to fly, as multiple Republicans have told me the Senate has a duty to take up articles of impeachment from the House.
Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial lasted five weeks. If the House votes to impeach by Thanksgiving, we could see the entire Thanksgiving-Christmas period taken up by the impeachment trial.
One thing to note about this is that the Senate can change any rules through unanimous consent. So, e.g., they could decide to give each side a chance to get involved in cross examination. The rules of the trial will likely be outlined in a motion passed at the beginning.
As a final note, McConnell didn’t tip his hands on how he would handle things (such as if he would push for a motion to dismiss), but rather outlined how things had gone in the past.
One thing is clear though, senators seem to think a Trump impeachment trial likely inevitable.
One thing is clear though, senators seem to think a Trump impeachment trial likely inevitable.
I don’t have the quote in front of me but a few weeks ago I asked Senator James Lankford about a possible motion to dismiss (essentially skipping the trial.) He said he would absolutely not support one, and many of his Republican colleagues would also oppose it.
Postscript: Republicans clearly expect a trial to begin, but I wouldn’t rule out a successful motion to dismiss partway in.
There was a (failed) MTD two weeks into the Clinton trial. Senator Tillis said if two weeks in it’s just all about the transcript, a motion could succeed.
There was a (failed) MTD two weeks into the Clinton trial. Senator Tillis said if two weeks in it’s just all about the transcript, a motion could succeed.
I fleshed this out into a story.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE IMPEACHING: buzzfeednews.com/article/paulmc… h/t to @dianegreco who came up with that headline
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE IMPEACHING: buzzfeednews.com/article/paulmc… h/t to @dianegreco who came up with that headline
