Ex-president Donald Trump faces the possibility of being impeached by the U.S. Senate in only three days from February 8, even as he still scours around to add other lawyers to his one-man defense team.
Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced the compromise date Friday after Senate Republicans requested more time to allow Trump's lawyers to prepare as impeachment managers.
The delay will also allow members of the House who act as trial lawyers to be sworn in on Tuesday next week. For Democrats, the delay will give them more time to confirm Biden's Cabinet nominees.
The impeachment trial itself will begin in earnest on February 8. The date for Trump's trial was the result of a deal struck between Senate Democrats and Republicans after Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell on Thursday proposed Trump's trial be reset to mid-February from next week.
McConnell said Trump is owed a "full and fair process where the former president can mount a defense."
"Leader McConnell is glad that Leader Schumer agreed to Republicans' request for additional time during the pre-trial phase," said Doug Andres, McConnell's spokesman.
Monday will see House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) deliver the lone article of impeachment to the Senate, triggering the Senate trial.
Washington pundits say Trump's second Senate trial might last only three days since senators don't feel the need for a protracted event. His first impeachment trial lasted 20 days and resulted in Senate Republicans voting down the two articles of impeachment brought against Trump.
On February 8, the Senate will be required to determine if Trump should be convicted of the charge of "incitement of insurrection." If Trump is found guilty, the Senate will vote again to ban Trump from running for any public office again.
A conviction is a tough sell, however, and requires a two-thirds majority. This means at least 17 Republicans will have to join all 50 Democrats.
The prospect Republicans in the Senate will impeach Trump looms large as 26 of the chamber's 50 GOP senators remain silent on acquitting the president of the crime of "incitement of insurrection," according to Fox News last weekend.
Fox News said it talked to all Republican senators, and only 13 confirmed they would vote to acquit Trump on the charge of "incitement of insurrection." In contrast, 12 senators are said to be ready to convict Trump in a Senate trial.
They only need five more to obtain the two-thirds majority needed to impeach Trump. The remaining GOP senators have remained silent about voting against impeachment.
Catalysts for Trump's potential impeachment is the anger among Republicans at the loss of two Senate seats in Georgia and the January 6 insurrection fomented by Trump.
McConnell is known to blame Trump for the loss of Georgia. GOP sources told the media that if McConnell supports a conviction, Trump will be convicted by 67 senators in the Senate impeachment trial.
"If Mitch is a yes, he's done," said one Senate GOP source.
Lately, however, McConnell has said he's undecided on whether to convict Trump.
Only a few days ago, Trump finally found a lawyer to represent him in his upcoming impeachment trial: Butch Bowers. This South Carolinian lawyer is said to be an expert in election law issues.
