Mitch McConnell warns Republicans in private meeting that Trump's impeachment trial could start as soon as November
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told his fellow Republicans that a Senate impeachment trial could begin as early as Thanksgiving, The Washington Post reported Wednesday evening.
McConnell explained how the impeachment process would work during a private weekly lunch meeting with GOP lawmakers on Wednesday.
The discussion reflects a growing recognition that the House will vote to approve articles of impeachment by late next month following a fast-moving investigation.
House Democrats have procured damaging testimony from current and former administration officials. Trump, meanwhile, has escalated his attacks on Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told his fellow Republicans that a Senate impeachment trial could begin as early as Thanksgiving, multiple news outlets reported Wednesday.
McConnell explained how the impeachment process would work during a private weekly lunch meeting with GOP lawmakers on Wednesday, giving a PowerPoint presentation along with Sen. Lindsey Graham, the Judiciary Committee Chairman.
The discussion reflects a growing recognition that the House will vote to approve articles of impeachment by late next month following a fast-moving investigation. Democrats set themselves an unofficial deadline of completing their impeachment inquiry by the end of the year to avoid dragging what will be a deeply contentious and distracting fight into 2020.
After impeachment by the House, the Senate will hold a trial to determine whether to remove the president from office.
Trump would become the third president in US history to be impeached.
This comes as House Democrats have procured a trove of damaging testimony from current and former administration officials. Trump, meanwhile, has escalated his attacks on Democrats, calling House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "a very sick person."
"There's sort of a planned expectation that it would be sometime around Thanksgiving, so you'd have basically Thanksgiving to Christmas — which would be wonderful because there's no deadline in the world like the next break to motivate senators," Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, told reporters.
He added, "There was probably as much talk as anything about what will our lives be like through that trial."
Graham reportedly pushed for Republicans to issue a signed statement describing Trump's July 25th call with the Ukrainian president, during which he asked Ukraine to "do us a favor" by investigating Joe Biden and his son, as "unimpeachable." But other Republicans said the declaration could make Trump think that any GOP members who don't sign it are open to his removal.
McConnell has confirmed that a Senate trial would take place six days a week and he reportedly wants the trial to conclude before Christmas. But he noted that it will be up to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts to formally end the trial.
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