Federal officials are tracking threats of another attack on Congress during the Trump impeachment trial, AP reports. Federal law enforcement officials are tracking plots to attack members of Congress going to and from the Capitol during Donald Trump's impeachment trial, a U.S. Official told the Associated Press. Concerns that armed protesters could return to sack the Capitol anew, have prompted the U.S. Capitol Police and other federal law enforcement to insist thousands of National Guard troops remain in Washington. Ref. USAToday.
Former President Donald Trump’s legal team argues impeachment trial is unconstitutional in first formal response to charge. The filing from Trump’s team comes just days before oral arguments begin in the trial Feb. 9. Earlier Tuesday, House Democratic prosecutors filed a written brief saying Trump aimed the mob at the U.S. Capitol “like a loaded cannon” on Jan. 6. Ref. USAToday.
Trump says he won't testify in next week's impeachment trial after request from House Democrats. Former President Donald Trump's attorneys responded to the testimony request by blasting it as a "Public relations stunt." A spokeswoman for Trump said the former president had no intention of going under oath as part of the trial. Ref. USAToday.
Senate leaders unveil framework of Trump impeachment trial, giving each side 16 hours to make their case with debate beginning Tuesday. Former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial begins Tuesday in a case likely to focus on whether his words and actions provoked the violent mob at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Democrats plan to argue Trump incited the riot while Republicans expect to say the trial itself is unconstitutional because Trump isn’t in office and that his words didn’t encourage the violence. Ref. USAToday.
Six Republicans join Democrats in voting that Trump’s impeachment trial is constitutional, allowing proceedings to move forward. The Senate voted not to dismiss former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial on Tuesday, upholding it as constitutional on its opening day. Trump’s legal team argued the case should be thrown out because he is no longer in office. Democrats countered that they do have jurisdiction to hold the proceeding against a former official, citing previous impeachment trials involving judges and a Cabinet official after they left office. Ref. USAToday.