人走了，弹劾还在继续：特朗普弹劾案审讯时间定了

当地时间1月22日，美国参议院多数党领袖、民主党人舒默宣布，参议院对前总统特朗普弹劾案的审讯将从2月8日那周开始。

舒默表示，众议院议长佩洛西将于周一向参议院提交针对特朗普弹劾案的条款，并于周二（26日）进行初步审理， 特朗普的法律团队将有时间在2月开庭前准备案件。

这一时间表在舒默与参议院共和党领袖、肯塔基州参议员麦康奈尔达成一致后被公布。

U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on Friday that the opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial for the former president Donald Trump on the charge of "incitement of insurrection" for the Capitol riot will begin the week of February 8.

Schumer said that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will send the article of impeachment against Trump to the Senate on Monday, triggering the start of the former president''s trial on a charge of "incitement of insurrection" in the deadly January 6 riot at the Capitol.

From there, Trump''s legal team will have time to prepare the case before opening arguments begin in February.

"During that period, the Senate will continue to do other business for the American people, such as Cabinet nominations and the COVID relief bill which would provide relief for millions of Americans who are suffering during this pandemic," Schumer said on the Senate floor.

Schumer announced Pelosi''s intentions on Friday for the quick trial, rebuffing Republicans'' proposal to push the proceedings to mid-February to give Trump more time to prepare his case. Schumer said there will be "a full trial," and "it will be a fair trial."

But a trial delay could appeal to some Democrats, as it would give the Senate more time to confirm the Cabinet and debate the new round of coronavirus relief. The trial could halt Senate work on those priorities.

"The more time we have to get up and running ... the better," Biden said Friday in brief comments to reporters.

The timing and details of the Senate trial eventually rest on negotiations between Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who are also in talks over a power-sharing agreement for the Senate, which is split 50-50 but in Democratic control because Vice President Kamala Harris serves as a tie-breaking vote.

Whenever the start, Pelosi said on Friday the nine House impeachment managers, or prosecutors, are "ready to begin to make their case" against Trump. Democrats say they can move quickly through the trial, potentially with no witnesses, because lawmakers experienced the insurrection first-hand.

这合乎美国宪法吗？

与历史上的任何弹劾案不同，特朗普的弹劾案将是第一位卸任总统的弹劾案，他的参议院共和党盟友认为，弹劾案毫无意义，甚至可能违宪。

但民主党人要求特朗普为此前发生在国会的骚乱负责，同时，他们也希望通过弹劾来阻止特朗普再度参选。根据美国宪法规定，除了免职，弹劾案的判决还可为禁止再度担任公职。

特朗普的辩护律师是南卡罗来纳州资深律师鲍尔斯，鲍尔斯曾帮助南卡罗来纳前州长免遭弹劾。

Unlike any in history, Trump''s impeachment trial would be the first of a U.S. president no longer in office, an undertaking that his Senate Republican allies argue is pointless, and potentially even unconstitutional.

Democrats say they have to hold Trump to account, even as they pursue new President Joe Biden''s legislative priorities, because of the gravity of what took place – a violent attack on the U.S. Congress aimed at overturning an election. If Trump is convicted, the Senate could hold another vote to bar him from holding office ever again, potentially upending his chances for a political comeback.

"Congress loses its constitutional authority to continue impeachment proceedings against" Trump after he leaves office because "the Senate''s only power under the Constitution is to convict – or not – an incumbent President," said the former U.S. Circuit Court Judge J. Michael Luttig on January 12 for the Washington Post.

Under the Constitution, the House can impeach a president for "treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors." Then the Senate holds a trial and needs a two-thirds majority to convict the president. In this case, the democrats would need the support of at least 17 Republicans to convict Trump, which is a high bar.

The most Republican senators condemned Trump''s actions that day, but far fewer appear to be ready to convict. And most have come to Trump''s defense as it relates to impeachment, saying they believe a trial will be divisive and questioning the legality of trying a president after he has left office.

Trump, the first president to be impeached twice, is at a disadvantage compared with his first impeachment trial, in which he had the full resources of the White House counsel''s office to defend him. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham helped Trump hire South Carolina attorney Butch Bowers after members of his past legal teams indicated they did not plan to join the new effort.

Graham said Friday there is "a very compelling constitutional case" on whether Trump can be impeached after his term – an assertion that Democrats reject, saying there is ample legal precedent. Graham also suggested that Republicans will argue Trump''s words on January 6 were not legally "incitement."

"On the facts, they''ll be able to mount a defense, so the main thing is to give him a chance to prepare and run the trial orderly, and hopefully the Senate will reject the idea of pursuing presidents after they leave office," Graham said.

McConnell, who said this week that Trump "provoked" his supporters before the riot, has not said how he will vote. He said Senate Republicans "strongly believe we need a full and fair process where the former president can mount a defense and the Senate can properly consider the factual, legal and constitutional questions."

最近几天是美国政权交接的日子，但有趣的是前任总统特朗普和现任总统拜登却双双遇到了大麻烦。首先是拜登，他上任的第二天，就有共和党籍众议员递交了针对拜登的弹劾条款，虽然基本上不可能通过，但绝对是一次狠狠地羞辱。

而特朗普的情况则更糟糕，别看他最后时刻服软，将总统宝座拱手让出，但民主党阵营却没有打算放弃清算他，即便已经下台可弹劾案并没有因此取消，而在近日，审判特朗普的时间也终于公布了。

https://imgogo.angelyun.com/2021/0_23/oid549695_0.jpeg据法新社23日报道称，美国会针对特朗普的二次弹劾事项仍在持续推进当中，众议院会在当地时间25日正式向参议院提交相关议案。而参议院多数党领袖舒默在22日晚对外透露，特朗普的弹劾案审讯将于2月8日开始。

外媒表示，这一时间是国会两党经过商议后共同决定的，此前参议院共和党领袖麦康奈尔已经倒戈，并在给共和党籍议员的信中强调，要求他们遵从自己的本心投票。要知道，经过1月6日的国会骚乱事件后，党内不少人都与特朗普划清了界限，一旦审判开始，他将凶多吉少。

特朗普曾在2019年12月遭到过一次弹劾，那一次他侥幸逃脱了，这次可不会有那么好的运气。当时特朗普仍是美国总统，而他的支持率和声望也颇高，几乎所有的分析人士都认为特朗普连任稳了，再加上共和党又在参议院中占据多数，所以弹劾没过其实非常正常。

但现在，由于受特朗普拖累共和党在参议院选举中失利，丢掉了多数党的地位，这使得形势一下子逆转。如果要成功弹劾特朗普，必须要经过参议院三分之二的议员通过才行，民主党自己有50票，只要有17名共和党人投下赞成票，特朗普就会被判有罪。

https://imgogo.angelyun.com/2021/0_23/oid549695_2.jpeg如果这一幕真的发生，特朗普不仅会被剥夺再次竞选总统的资格，而且还会创造一项新的记录，即美国历史上首位被弹劾成功的总统。不仅如此，若是弹劾罪名成立还将给民主党阵营莫大的鼓舞，以佩洛西为首的民主党高层会更加坚定清算特朗普的决心，直到将他送进监狱为止。

以上这些并非完全不可能，特朗普现在身上都还背负着好几起官司，例如“通俄门”事件以及他本人偷税漏税的问题，随便一个坐实都足以让他坐牢。看到这儿，我们会发现特朗普最后的妥协其实是害了自己，在没有拿到佩洛西的保证前就自废武功，现在孑然一身等于任人宰割。

https://imgogo.angelyun.com/2021/0_23/oid549695_3.jpeg值得一提的是，事件的另一个主要当事人拜登，从头到尾都对弹劾特朗普持谨慎态度，既没有公开支持但也没有反对，属于一种看戏的姿态。这其实是可以理解的，首先来说，弹劾案审议会花费参议院大量的精力，拜登不希望此举影响到新政府的启动和运作。

另外，特朗普至今仍有不少的支持者，如果拜登掺和这事，不仅会得罪川粉还会被视作没有气度，倒不如全程交给佩洛西处理。最后，无论弹劾特朗普是否成功，对于已经上台的拜登来说没有任何影响，他现在的主要任务，是“填坑”和带领美国走出黑暗。