Republicans expect to adjourn the trial of Donald Trump in the Senate until mid-February

Republicans in the U.S. Senate are asking Democrats, who now have a majority, to postpone the start of former President Donald Trump’s trial until February. But there are other political roles beyond this demand.

Donald Trump was indicted by the House of Representatives after his supporters vandalized Capitol on January 6, just as Congress was about to confirm Joe Biden’s victory in the November 3, 2020 presidential election.

Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has suggested to Democratic majority leader Chuck Schumer that the House of Representatives Democrats have not yet sent a document to the Senate accusing Donald Trump. Sending this document to the Senate, signed by Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi on January 13, is tantamount to the official start of the process.

Mitch McConnell also pointed out a date until January 28, when Nancy Pelosi will take action. That means Donald Trump will have two weeks until February 11 to prepare his defense. Thus, the parties’ arguments are expected to begin in the Senate in mid-February, according to reports BBC.

What the Democrats are saying is what is at stake in the negotiations

The decision to start the process is now in the hands of Democrats, but they have reason to postpone the process in exchange for other benefits – including President Joe Biden.

Asked if he had received an answer from Chuck Schumacher, McNell said CNN It is not yet, but discussions on this topic continue. The talks between Schumacher and McConnell over Trump’s allegations are directly related to the efforts of President Joe Biden to secure as many of his candidates in the Senate as possible for key positions in the new administration.

Schumacher and the Democrats did not reject the idea of ​​adjourning the trial if the new Biden executive could get quick confirmation in this way.

In addition, the middle now has control over the ruling party and especially the Senate committees, where Democrats and Republicans are equal, 50-50. Without agreement on the division of power, the Republicans still have control of the committees, as they did in the old upper house of Congress with a majority. CNN reports that this will give McConnell some skills in the negotiations.

The House of Representatives is “ready” to begin Trump’s trial, but will wait until the Senate is ready, before the indictment is officially sent out, lower house spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi told a news conference Thursday. Of the US Congress.

Who will defend Donald Trump in the Senate hearing

Trump, the only president to have been indicted twice in US history, blames the former White House chief for killing five people in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Including a police officer. The Democratic-majority House of Representatives has accused Trump of “inciting insurgency.” The January 6 attack came after a rally of Trump supporters who denied the correctness of the November 6 election and delivered an annoying speech by the former president.

Meanwhile, it seems that Donald Trump has already found a bodyguard for the trial pending in the Senate. About Attorney Butch Powers From South Carolina. He was Special Adviser on the Judiciary during George W. Bush’s presidency.

Trump’s defense would have relied on the argument that the Senate could not punish the former president. The indictment refers only to the incumbent officers, in the Constitution.

In addition, Republicans called on Democrats to abandon the Senate process because it was unconstitutional, and secondly, it would undermine the message of unity that Joe Biden had conveyed in the early days of his presidency. But these plans were rejected by Nancy Pelosi on Thursday.