Day eight of the trial on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020.
Alternate Video Links: Fox News (YouTube)
Watch prior days:
- Day 2 (Jan 22)
- Day 3 (Jan 23)
- Day 4 (Jan 24)
- Day 5 (Jan 25) Highlights
- Day 6 (Jan 27)
- Day 7 (Jan 28)
The impeachment trial of President Donald Trump began on Tuesday, Jan. 21, after a weekslong impasse over how the Senate trial would proceed, and debate over the rules stretched nearly 13 hours.
Reporting on day eight of the trial from The Hill:
Senators are preparing to take the reins of the impeachment trial on Wednesday after largely being relegated to the sidelines of the floor proceedings in the first week.
After six days of opening statements from House managers and President Trump’s team, senators will start asking questions of both sides at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.
The question-and-answer session is expected to be stretched over two days, with senators getting a total of 16 hours to ask questions, before moving to a vote on Friday on whether or not to call witnesses.
Under a deal announced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), questions will alternate between Republicans and Democrats. Wednesday’s session is expected to last eight hours, not including breaks.
McConnell also doled out advice to both senators asking their questions as well as to House managers and Trump’s team for how to answer them: Get to the point.
“During the question period of the Clinton trial, senators were thoughtful and brief with their questions, and the managers and counsel were succinct in their answers. I hope we can follow both of these examples during this time,” McConnell said Tuesday.
Senators aren’t allowed to speak during the trial. Instead, they are submitting their questions in writing. The questions will first be fielded through leadership on both sides, who have said their main object is to weed out duplicates or repetitive questions.
The questions will then be passed, alternating between parties, to Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial.
