Chronicle Editor
WASHINGTON – Donald Trump was on the brink of ending the darkest chapter of his tumultuous presidency yesterday as the US Senate began the final phase of his impeachment trial that will almost certainly conclude tomorrow with his acquittal.
The 100 senators will hear four hours of closing arguments split equally between Trump’s legal team and prosecutors from the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, which charged him with abusing power by pressuring Ukraine to probe political rival Joe Biden, and then obstructing their inquiry.
The Republican-run Senate voted on Friday not to hear from witnesses including Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton, despite a strong push by Democrats and opinion polls showing most Americans wanted to hear from them.
When the arguments are complete, the senators will be able to make speeches until tomorrow when a final vote will be taken at 4pm EST (2100 GMT) to determine whether Trump is guilty of the charges and should be removed from office.
The tenor of the speeches is expected to reflect the deepening polarisation between Democrats and Republicans as senators seek to justify to the American public why they plan to vote yay or nay for ousting Trump.
The Senate is almost certain to acquit the president, as a two-thirds majority is required to remove Trump and none of its 53 Republicans have indicated they will vote to convict.
Several Republican senators have said that what Trump did was inappropriate but not impeachable. The president says he is the victim of an unlawful Democratic effort to derail his campaign for re-election.
During the trial, Trump’s lawyers offered an expansive view of presidential powers as they argued that their client had wide latitude to conduct US foreign policy and that he could not be thrown out of office for abuse of power. They urged senators to let the people decide when they go to the polls in November. – Reuters.
Londile Moyo
Bongani Ndlovu