Politico | Mitch McConnell proposes allowing Donald Trump two weeks to prepare impeachment defence
- US House speaker Pelosi said earlier that she would ‘soon’ take steps to launch the trial against the former president
- The timing of the trial is an issue as Trump is already out of office, and Biden is seeking to lock in his Cabinet amid multiple national crises
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Sarah Ferris, Burgess Everett and Heather Caygle on politico.com on January 21, 2021.
US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is proposing to give former president Donald Trump two weeks to prepare his legal case for his impeachment trial, according to sources familiar with the matter.
McConnell told Republican senators that he would propose to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that the former president have until early February to prepare his case, according to three people briefed on a conference call on Thursday.
The discussion of a two-week delay comes as congressional leaders attempt to work out details of Trump’s second impeachment trial, including the former president’s defence against the House’s charges that he incited the deadly insurrection at the Capitol earlier this month.
03:48
US House impeaches Trump for inciting deadly Capitol attack
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has so far refused to say when she plans to send the article of impeachment to the Senate, a move that would require the upper chamber to almost immediately begin its trial.