Those looking to catch the action live can tune in on television or online through C-SPAN 2. Coverage is slated to begin at 1 p.m. ET and continue until 8 p.m. ABC News also has a live stream set up on its YouTube page, also beginning at 1 p.m. ET.
Technically, this is the second day of the trial. On Thursday, senators met for the reading of the impeachment articles, the swearing-in of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who will cast the tie-breaking vote, if necessary, and to take the oath. Tuesday marks the first full day, though, and will involve senators mapping out how to conduct the trial.
On Monday, McConnell sent senators the organizing resolution that outlines his proposed rules for the proceedings. He proposed allowing the House of Representatives and Trump up to 24 hours each to present their arguments on the articles of impeachment.
Senators would also have up to 16 hours to question both parties, followed by four more hours of argument by the parties and ultimately, a debate as to whether the Senate will subpoena any witnesses or documents. Witness testimony will only be allowed if the parties have had the opportunity to depose the witness.
Democrats want at least four people to testify: Mick Mulvaney, acting White House chief of staff; Robert Blair, Mulvaney senior adviser; Michael Duffey, associate director for national security at the Office of Management and Budget; and John Bolton, former national security adviser. Republicans haven’t released their official list of potential witnesses, but some GOP members of Congress suggested calling the whistleblower who sparked the impeachment inquiry in September and former Vice President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.
Materials from the House of Representatives could be admitted into evidence through a motion, a proposed requirement that irked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. The New York Democrat said in a statement that McConnell’s rules indicated he doesn’t want to hear existing or new evidence.
“A trial with no evidence—no existing record, no witnesses, no documents—isn’t a trial at all,” Schumer said. “It’s a cover-up, and the American people will see it for exactly what it is.”
Schumer also criticized the rules for requiring “key facts” to be delivered in what he calls the “wee hours of the night.” This would prevent the American people from hearing them, according to Schumer, who said he would be offering amendments to address the “many flaws” in the “deeply unfair proposal.”
Once senators have considered the evidence—and possibly heard from additional witnesses—Trump’s fate will come down to a vote. Convicting a president requires a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate and with a Republican majority, many are expecting Trump to be acquitted.
