US Senate prepares impeachment trial of Trump

WASHINGTON: Impeachment proceedings charging President Donald Trump of misuse of power and obstruction of Parliament were submitted to the Senate on Wednesday, setting in motion a historic case that seeks to remove the US president from office.

Leader of the Republican Senate Mitch McConnell announced that the papers would be publicly read to the Senate at midday (1700 GMT), after which the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, would be sworn in to preside over the trial.

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McConnell said, referring to the writers of the US Constitution that, “This is a difficult time for our democracy, but this is exactly the time that the Senate was created for by the framers.” Legislators will then be sworn in on Thursday as jurors and plans for an impeachment hearing to start on Tuesday, January 21 will begin.

The two formal charges one for misuse of power and the other for obstructing the House probe were presented by the newly appointed House secretaries, seven Democrats, in a solemn procession of blue boxes, who will try the charge against the President.