Trump impeachment hearings: Watch today's Senate trial live – CNET

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Public impeachment hearings concerning US President Donald Trump’s conduct in his dealings with Ukraine are in full swing. 


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After the House of Representatives voted to pass two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump in December, Tuesday marks the next step in the process of whether the now impeached president will be removed from office as the Senate begins its trial.  

Overseen by Chief Justice John Roberts of the US Supreme Court, the trial is set to begin in the Senate at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) and run six days a week, including Saturdays, for potentially three to five weeks. Final rules for the proceedings, including the allowance of witnesses, are still being worked out. 

At issue is whether Trump should be removed from office for his conduct in dealings with Ukraine. That includes a phone call in July in which he appears to have asked the president of Ukraine to investigate former US Vice President Joe Biden, currently a Democratic presidential candidate, and his son Hunter’s ties to a Ukrainian gas company, in exchange for US military aid.

In the December vote, the House passed articles saying Trump abused power and obstructed Congress. Both votes were largely across party lines in the Democratic-controlled House, with 67 Senators in the Republican-controlled Senate needing to vote to remove the president for impeachment to pass. 

Full coverage of the impeachment hearings can be found at CBS News here.  

Here’s how you can follow along.  

How can I watch? 

Various news networks and outlets will livestream the day’s events. A number of broadcasters, including PBS and cable news channels Fox News, MSNBC, CNN and C-SPAN previously preempted regular programming to offer live broadcasts of the House debating the articles of impeachment, with the networks expected to do the same for the Senate trial on Tuesday. (Disclosure: CNET is a division of CBS Interactive, which is owned by ViacomCBS.)

While unclear at the moment, it is also possible that local broadcasters CBS, ABC and NBC will broadcast the first day of the hearings as well. 

You can stream the hearing for free online at sites such as C-SPAN.  

What time does everything start? 

The Senate trial is set to kick off at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) on Tuesday. 

Who else has been impeached?  

Trump joins Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton as the third president to be impeached by the House since the Constitution was adopted in 1788. 

Richard Nixon resigned before the House had a chance to impeach him for his role in the Watergate scandal. Both Johnson and Clinton were acquitted by the Senate in their respective impeachment trials. 

What does Trump have to say? 

In a six-page letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in December before the House vote, Trump blasted the proceedings and said that “more due process was afforded to those accused in the Salem Witch Trials.” 

“It is time for you and the highly partisan Democrats in Congress to immediately cease this impeachment fantasy and get back to work for the American People,” the president wrote. “While I have no expectation that you will do so, I write this letter to you for the purpose of history and to put my thoughts on a permanent and indelible record.”

He has since commented and tweeted many times about the impeachment, calling it a “disgrace” and a “hoax.”

Where is Trump right now?  

President Trump is currently in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told reporters that he will be “briefed by staff periodically.” 

Where can I learn more about impeachment? 

CBS News has full coverage of the impeachment process, inquiry and proceedings. 

Originally published Nov. 12.
Updates, Dec. 18: Adds information on impeachment vote in the House of Representatives; Jan 21: updated to reflect Senate trial. 
Correction, Nov. 14: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described Joe Biden. He’s a Democratic presidential candidate.

source: cnet.com