This week’s impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump was historic for many reasons – including its length.
With the defense wrapping its arguments on Friday, senators say it’s very likely this impeachment process will be over this weekend, with a vote expected at 3 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. That’s even shorter than the previous record for shortest impeachment trial ever (21 days) set by Trump’s first impeachment.
This impeachment trial unfolded completely differently. From the jump, impeachment managers leaned heavily and effectively on video evidence. So much so that the defense scrambled to craft their own videos for use during Friday’s arguments.
Despite the scramble, all signs point to Trump’s defense securing the Republican support needed to acquit Trump. As GOP Sen. Ron Johnson put it Friday afternoon: “They just legally eviscerated what the House managers put in front.”
Democrats need 17 GOP senators to reach the chamber’s two-thirds threshold to convict Trump. Meanwhile, the rest of Washington focused on the efforts of President Joe Biden, as his $1.9 trillion stimulus plan cleared another key hurdle and Democrats hammered out more details about who could receive another stimulus check.
Then there are the increasingly complicated matters of getting vaccines in the arms of more Americans and getting the nation’s students back to school.
The Point: After a week dominated by the former President’s impeachment, all of Washington appears ready to move on.
