Democratic Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy will preside over former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate instead of Supreme Court Justice John Roberts.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Friday night that the impeachment trial for Trump will start the week of Feb. 8. Leahy announced Monday that he will be the one presiding over Trump’s impeachment trial. A spokesman for Leahy told The Hill that the decision on who presides over the trial is decided by Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“When I preside over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, I will not waver from my constitutional and sworn obligations to administer the trial with fairness, in accordance with the Constitution and the laws,” Leahy said in a statement.
Senator Patrick Leahy (C) and his wife Marcelle (R) arrives for the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th US President, on the West Front of the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 20, 2021. (Photo by PATRICK SEMANSKY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
In his Friday night speech, Schumer set the schedule for the impeachment trial. At 7 p.m. Monday, House managers will present articles to the Senate. On Tuesday, Members will be sworn in for trial. On the week of Feb. 8, the arguments will start, Schumer announced. (RELATED: Kyrsten Sinema Won’t Support Eliminating Filibuster, ‘Not Open To Changing Her Mind’)
“I have spoken to Speaker Pelosi who informed me that the articles will be delivered to the Senate on Monday,” Schumer said earlier Friday. (RELATED: Schumer Says Trump’s Impeachment Trial Will Start The Week Of February 8)
McConnell has reportedly been lobbied by prominent Republicans and former White House officials to support impeaching former President Donald Trump, according to CNN.
“Mitch said to me he wants Trump gone,” a Republican member of Congress reportedly told CNN. “It is in his political interest to have him gone. It is in the GOP interest to have him gone. The question is, do we get there?” The CNN report said the lobbying for impeachment started in the House after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and began to focus on McConnell after the House’s impeachment vote.
The Republican leader said Tuesday that Trump and his allies were responsible for provoking rioters to storm the Capitol and commit acts of vandalism which postponed the electoral college certification process.