Washington: Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial opened on Tuesday with a graphic video showing the former president whipping up a rally crowd to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell” against his reelection defeat, followed by images of the deadly attack on Congress that came soon after.
In an early test of the former president’s defence, Donald Trump’s team lost a crucial bid to halt the trial on constitutional grounds. Senators confirmed 56-44, their jurisdiction over the trial, the first of a president no longer in office.
While six Republican senators joined the Democrats in the proceeding, the tally showed how far prosecutors have to go to win a conviction, which requires a two-thirds threshold of 67 senators.
Tuesday’s vote was on whether a former president could be tried after leaving office. House Democrats prosecuting the case told senators they were presenting “cold, hard facts” against Trump, who is charged with inciting the mob siege of the Capitol to overturn the election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.