The impeachment trial against Donald Trump started on 22 January and for three days the Democrats presented their case to remove the 45th president from office. They accused him of abuse of power and obstruction of justice. Now it’s Trump’s defence team's turn to present their arguments.
What is Trump’s Legal Team Expected to Say?
Responding to allegations that the president was involved in a quid pro quo, lawyers are likely to argue that Trump didn’t commit any crime when he asked his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate his potential rival in the 2020 election Joe Biden and his son for corruption.
Despite the fact that the Mueller probe found no evidence that President Trump colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election, Adam Schiff, one of the seven impeachment managers, maintains that Trump won the election with the help of Moscow and said that the 73-year-old would cheat in the upcoming election.
Responding to these accusations, Trump’s legal defence is expected to say that the trial is a Democratic attempt to delegitimise his presidency.
Next Week – Arguments and Questions
After a break on Sunday, Trump’s defence will continue presenting its case, building on it through Tuesday. However, lawyer Jay Sekulow said that the defence had not made up its mind on how much time it will use to present its arguments. After Trump’s team wraps up presenting its case, congressmen will have 16 hours to present their questions to both sides.
Late January to Early February – Potential Witness Testimonies and Subpoenas
Democrats are likely to attempt to hold a hearing with witnesses during the trial after Republicans rejected their demands for more witnesses. A new ABC News-Washington Post poll showed that although Americans remain polarised over whether the president should be removed from office, 66 percent of respondents said the Senate should call witnesses during the trial.
Final Vote
If the Democrats don’t manage to hold a hearing with witnesses and don’t issue subpoenas, congressmen will vote on the final articles of impeachment against Trump – convicting or acquitting the president. US media say that the final vote may happen this month, but could drag on for weeks, well after 4 February, when Trump will deliver the annual State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress.
President Trump recently chastised the Democrats, saying he was being treated unfairly in the House of Representatives. In a post on Twitter, he accused them of telling lies and spreading deception for hours and expressed dissatisfaction that his lawyers “will be forced to start on Saturday, which is called Death Valley”, a time when Americans do not watch TV.
The impeachment trial centres on a complaint filed by an anonymous whistleblower who said Trump was engaged in a quid pro quo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the whistleblower, Trump promised to provide military aid if Kiev digs up dirt on Joe Biden, his potential rival in the 2020 election. While the subsequent release of the call's transcript showed no misconduct on Trump’s part, it did not stop the Democrats from initiating an impeachment inquiry.
