By Aiyeku Timothy
The US Senate has insisted that the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump is constitutional.
This is after Trump’s defence team argued that he cannot face trial after leaving the White House, stressing that it was unconstitutional.
It therefore, took a 56-44 majority voted in the Senate to stamp out the opposition voice and continue the trial, with a handful of Republicans backing the measure.
Trump is accused of “inciting insurrection” when Congress was stormed last month, leaving some dead and others injured.
Thousands gathered in support of false claims that widespread electoral fraud denied Trump victory in the US presidential election.
However, Democrats prosecuting the case on Tuesday, started by showing a video montage of Trump’s 6 January speech and the deadly rioting by some of his supporters.
Rep Raskin was brought to tears as he recounted fear for his own family’s safety during the riot after he was separated from his visiting daughter.
“This cannot be the future of America,” he told senators, who act as jurors for impeachment.
“We cannot have presidents inciting and mobilising mob violence against our government and our institutions because they refuse to accept the will of the people under the Constitution of the United States.”
He argued there could be no “January exception” to impeaching outgoing officials without risking a dangerous precedent.
“That’s a high crime and misdemeanour,” Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland said of the footage. “If that’s not an impeachable offence, then there’s no such thing.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s lawyers argued it was unconstitutional to put a former president through the process at all and accused Democrats of being politically motivated but the 56-44 votes gave the nod as six Republicans also joined Democrats.
A two-thirds majority is required to convict the former president in the evenly split 100-seat Senate and if successful, Trump could be barred from holding office again.
