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Trump's Impeachment Trial Begins To Unfold

The Capitol is seen at sunrise on the first full day of the impeachment trial of President Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
The Capitol is seen at sunrise on the first full day of the impeachment trial of President Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

President Trump’s impeachment trial is set to unfold at the Capitol in a contentious proceeding to render judgment on his actions.

On the eve of the trial, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed a condensed, two-day calendar for each side’s opening arguments. The rules package will be one of the first orders of business when senators convene about midday Tuesday.

Trump’s lawyers are seeking swift acquittal. But Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called McConnell’s plan “a national disgrace.” When the trial begins in earnest, Trump will be attending a global leaders conference in Davos, Switzerland.

Hosts Jeremy Hobson and Robin Young speak with Julian Zelizer (@julianzelizer), professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and a CNN political analyst.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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