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Senate Republicans want Trump impeachment delay

January 22, 2021

Mitch McConnell is proposing to delay the start of Donald Trump's trial to give him time to prepare his case. House Democrats voted last week to impeach the former president for inciting a deadly riot on the US Capitol.

https://p.dw.com/p/3oGI5
Donald Trump
Donald Trump's impeachment trial might not begin until mid-February if Republicans get their wayImage: Luis M. Alvarez/AP Photo/picture alliance

US Senate Republicans want to push back Donald Trump's impeachment hearings to mid-February, Mitch McConnell said on Thursday.

The Senate minority leader is in agreement with the delay so as to give the former president time to prepare and review his case.

House Democrats have signaled they want to move swiftly with proceedings but McConnell said: "Senate Republicans are strongly united behind the principle that the institution of the Senate, the office of the presidency, and former President Trump himself, all deserve a full and fair process that respects his rights and the serious factual, legal, and constitutional questions at stake."

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Allegations of provocation

The Senate's top Republican cited the unprecedented speed of the process with which the House of Representatives moved in impeaching Trump, who is accused of inciting a January 6 insurrection against Congress.

Just moments before the violent mob attacked the Capitol, resulting in the deaths of five people, Trump held a rally near the White House, where he said: "We fight like hell and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore."

Like the previous two months, Trump maintained during the rally that the election had been stolen from him, despite there being no evidence to support his claim.

As a result of his actions immediately prior to the attack on the Capitol, the Democrats want Trump barred from holding public office for life.

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js/rc (AP, Reuters, dpa)