Trump's Senate impeachment trial formally begins

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Trump's Senate impeachment trial formally begins
House impeachment managers arrive for the procedural start of the Senate impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump in the US Capitol.

JONATHAN ERNST/Reuters

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House impeachment managers arrive for the procedural start of the Senate impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump in the US Capitol.

  • The Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump formally began on Thursday when the House impeachment prosecutors presented the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
  • Rep. Adam Schiff, the lead prosecutor and chair of the House Intelligence Committee, read aloud the articles of impeachment to senators gathered on the Senate floor.
  • On Thursday afternoon, the Supreme Court's chief justice, John Roberts, is scheduled to administer an oath to all 100 senators, requiring them to swear to deliver "impartial justice" as jurors in the trial.
  • The trial will officially resume on Tuesday, after lawmakers are given the day off on Monday to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump formally began on Thursday when the seven House impeachment prosecutors presented the articles of impeachment to the Senate.

Rep. Adam Schiff, the lead prosecutor and chair of the House Intelligence Committee, read aloud the articles of impeachment to senators gathered on the Senate floor.

The House charged Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in a vote, largely along partisan lines, last month. At the crux of the charges are allegations that Trump attempted to leverage nearly $400 million in military aid and a White House meeting to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political opponents and a debunked conspiracy about the 2016 election.

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On Thursday afternoon, the Supreme Court's chief justice, John Roberts, is scheduled to administer an oath to all 100 senators, requiring them to swear to deliver "impartial justice" as jurors in the trial.

The trial will officially resume on Tuesday, after lawmakers are given the day off on Monday to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The impeachment prosecutors, also known as managers, will present the case against Trump first before Trump's team presents his defense.

On Wednesday, the House voted to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate - one month after they voted to impeach Trump.

Pelosi delayed sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate in an attempt to pressure Republicans, who control the upper chamber, to call witnesses during the trial. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced last week that he had the votes to move forward with the trial without guaranteeing witnesses will be called.

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