'Antithesis of unity': Republicans question the constitutionality of Trump's impeachment

The efforts of Democrats to convict former US President Donald Trump at his second impeachment trial suffered a fresh blow on January 26 with almost all Republican senators supporting dismissing the case. They also underlined his hold over the party. Kentucky’s junior Senator Rand Paul proposed to vote on the constitutionality of Trump's impeachment. After the motion was introduced, it failed as all Democrats and only five Republicans supported it. The result confirmed that the Democrats will have to struggle to persuade at least 17 Republican senators, which is required to attain the required two-thirds majority to vote to convict Trump accused of ‘inciting the insurrection’ during the US Capitol attack on January 6. 

After the Republican Rand Paul challenged the constitutionality of Trump's impeachment trial, he forced the vote. Although, his motion was struck down as Democrats called for a vote to kill the point of order and won by 55-45. Following the vote, Paul said, "that 45 Senators agreed that this sham of a 'trial' is unconstitutional... This 'trial' is dead on arrival in the Senate". Meanwhile, Patrick Leahy, the 80-year-old senator presiding over the trial was hospitalised after Tuesday’s proceedings. 

“Democrats claim to want to unify the country, but impeaching a former president, a private citizen, is the antithesis of unity,” Paul said.

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Trump launches 'Office Of The Former President'

After the inauguration of US President Joe Biden, Trump, who moved to his permanent home in Florida, on January 25 launched the 'Office Of The Former President'. Trump had left the White House just hours before Biden’s swearing-in ceremony last week and started his post-presidential life at Mar-a-Lago golf club in Palm Beach. Meanwhile, he is banned from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube for inciting his supporters earlier this month who then stormed the US Capitol to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s win. 

“Today, the 45th President of the United States, Donald J Trump, formally opened the Office of the Former President,” a media statement said, the first official since departing from White House. “President Trump will always and forever be a champion for the American People.” 

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