The US Senate has entered a full-scale trial for impeachment of former President Donald Trump. Former President Trump, who was accused of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress while in office about a year ago, is now charged with inciting a civil war. Reporter Lee Jo-eun reports.
On the 11th, on the third day of the impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump, the final full-scale battle of the Democratic Party impeachment prosecution members of the House of Representatives took place in the main hall of the Senate to prove the legitimacy of the impeachment.
[녹취:래스킨 의원] “Jan. 6 was a culmination of the president’s actions… ”
Democratic Party Congressman Jamie Raskin, who is head of the impeachment prosecution, argued that the congressional invasion riots that took place on the 6th of last month were “the pinnacle” of former President Trump’s actions long before last year’s presidential election.
Democratic impeachment members persuaded the senators over 16 hours over two days to this day, presenting evidence that former President Trump instigated a mob invasion into the Capitol, where the results of the presidential election was in progress earlier last month.
In particular, Congressman Raskin said on the 10th that former President Trump “was not an innocent bystander” and that “the evidence will make it clear that former President Trump instigated a riot.”
[녹취:래스킨 의원] “Ex-President Trump was no innocent bystander… ”
It is alleged that former President Trump “violates his duty to protect and defend the constitution, the government, and the Americans.”
On the other hand, former President Trump insisted that the impeachment trial against the former president was unconstitutional.
In a statement on the 9th, the first day of the impeachment trial, Trump’s defense team said in a statement, “It will be an opportunity to explain to the senators why it is stupid and contrary to the constitution to open a hearing of impeachment on private citizens.” .
For former President Trump to be convicted of impeachment, more than two-thirds of the Senate must approve.
Currently, the Senate has exactly 50 seats from the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, including two democratic independent seats, so the Republican Party will need at least 17 votes to leave a conviction for impeachment.
However, since only five Republicans voted in favor of the Senate vote on whether the impeachment trial against the former president was constitutional on the 9th, it is difficult to expect an additional departure from the Republican Party in the conviction vote.
The Senate’s impeachment hearing, which lasts for about a week, is expected to close as early as the 14th.
From the 12th, former President Trump’s defense team will debate up to 16 hours over two days, the same as the impeachment prosecution members.
After that, the senators question both sides for up to four hours, after which the impeachment prosecutors can request a vote on the request for additional evidence with witnesses.
However, because the senators who act as jurors for the impeachment trial are also witnesses who were in the Capitol during the congressional invasion riots, there will be no separate request for witnesses.
When the hearing process is completed, the final vote on whether to be guilty is expected to take place as early as the 14th or 15th.
If a conviction against former President Trump is convicted, an additional vote will be held on whether to prevent him from taking office in the future, and if more than half agree, it will be passed.
Former President Trump said on the charges of impeachment on the 12th of last month, the day before the House’s impeachment bill passed, “People thought that what I said was completely appropriate.” Rather, the racist protests that took place last summer were “a real problem.”
[녹취:트럼프 당시 대통령] “People thought what I said was… ”
Trump is the third US President to be impeached after Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998.
In particular, for the first time in US history, he was recorded as a president who was impeached twice by the House of Representatives during his tenure.
The House of Representatives passed an impeachment bill in December 2019, saying that then-President Trump forced the Ukrainian President to investigate the rich man of the presidential rival Joe Biden and linked it with military aid to Ukraine.
In the United States, the principle of separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judiciary is strictly enforced, so Congress can impeach the President and the Supreme Court.
The U.S. Constitution states that before impeachment proceedings can be initiated, there must be evidence that the President has committed’treasure, bribery or other felony and misdemeanor crimes’.
In the impeachment trial, the House of Representatives acts as a prosecutor who convicts, and the Senators act as the jury for final judgment.
This is VOA News Lee Jo-eun.