Chuck Schumer
Top Senators Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell announced Monday they reached an agreement on the framework for Trump’s impeachment trial.
The sham trial will begin Tuesday, February 9th.
Here are the details via Fox News:
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on Monday that he, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and former President Donald Trump’s counsel had reached an agreement on the structure for the upcoming impeachment trial.
That structure will include four hours divided evenly between the Impeachment Managers and Trump’s counsel to present arguments on Tuesday regarding the constitutionality of the trial, followed by a vote.
If the trial proceeds, there will be up to sixteen hours for the Impeachment Managers in the House to lay out their case starting on Wednesday, and 16 hours for Trump’s defense.
There will then be equal time provided for senator’s questions, closing arguments and Senate deliberations.
It will be up to the managers to request witnesses.
“For the information of the Senate, the Republican leader and I, in consultation with both the House managers and Former President Trump’s lawyers, have agreed to a bipartisan resolution to govern the structure and timing of the impending trial,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said from the Senate floor.
“All parties have agreed to a structure that will ensure a fair and honest Senate impeachment trial of the former president,” Schumer said.
WATCH:
.@SenSchumer: "All parties have agreed to a structure that will ensure a fair and honest Senate Impeachment Trial of the former president…The structure we have agreed to is eminently fair."
Full video: https://t.co/Q0AJQbPZvL pic.twitter.com/qbJYKgvlcG
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 8, 2021
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) confirmed on the Senate floor that he reached a deal with Schumer.
“I’m pleased that Leader Schumer and I were able to reach an agreement on a fair process and estimated timeline for the upcoming Senate trial,” McConnell said. “It will give senators as jurors ample time to receive the case and the arguments.”
Trump’s lead lawyers argued the Senate should immediately dismiss the articles of impeachment in a 75-page legal brief filed Monday morning.
Trump’s impeachment lawyers David Schoen and Bruce Castor in a pretrial brief accused the House Democrats of suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” engaging in “political theater” and called the trial unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office.
Update: Trump’s lawyers responded to Schumer and McConnell’s announcement they came to deal on impeachment:
“President Trump and his counsel are pleased that there was bipartisan support on how to structure the impeachment trial,” Trump’s team said in a statement. “We appreciate that Senate Republican leadership stood strong for due process and secured a structure that is consistent with past precedent. This process will provide us with an opportunity to explain to Senators why it is absurd and unconstitutional to hold an impeachment trial against a private citizen.”