Trump trial ‘first’ priority in January, says Senate leader

The trial of Donald Trump will be the Senate’s first priority in January if the US president is impeached as expected next week, the top Republican in Congress says.

The House Judiciary Committee was set to meet beginning this evening to debate two articles of impeachment that accuse Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his dealings with Ukraine.

The panel will likely vote to approve the charges on Thursday.

That would send the articles to a full vote by the Democratic-led House of Representatives as early as next week on whether to impeach a US president for only the third time in US history.

The case would then shift to the Senate in the new year for a trial to decide whether Trump is removed from office.

“A Senate trial will have to be our first item of business in January,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tells colleagues on the floor.

— AFP