House to send Trump impeachment charge Monday

The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives will deliver an impeachment charge against former President Donald Trump to the Senate on Monday, rejecting Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's request for a delay.

This report produced by Jillian Kitchener.

SCHUMER: “I’ve spoken to Speaker Pelosi who informed me that the articles will be delivered to the Senate on Monday.” U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Friday announced that the House will send former President Donald Trump’s impeachment charge - of inciting insurrection - to the Senate on Monday… kicking off a process that could ban him from holding office in the future.

“It will be a full trial, it will be a fair trial but make no mistake there will be a trial and when that trial ends Senators will have to decide if they believe Donald John Trump incited the erection - insurrection - against the United States.” Schumer’s decision comes after Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell proposed a delay on sending the impeachment charge.

McConnell also proposed Trump have two weeks to prepare a defense… pushing the start of the trial to mid-February.

"This impeachment began with an unprecedentedly fast and minimal process over in the House.

The sequel cannot be an insufficient Senate process that denies former president Trump due process, or damages the Senate or the presidency itself." The House last week charged Trump with inciting the deadly January 6 attack on the Capitol.

In Trump's first impeachment trial, the Senate began proceedings the day after the charges were sent from the House.

But this trial is different - it will be the only one ever to take place after a president has left office.

A source familiar with the matter said Trump has hired South Carolina-based lawyer Butch Bowers to represent him in the trial… which requires a two-thirds majority of the Senate to convict Trump.

A separate vote would be needed to block him from running for office ever again.