Senate Agrees To Hear Trump Case, Rejecting GOP Arguments
By LISA MASCARO, ERIC TUCKER, MARY CLARE JALONICK and JILL COLVIN
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators in Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial have agreed to consider the case.
The vote was 56-44 on the question of whether the Senate has jurisdiction and could proceed.
Trump’s trial has opened in the Senate with graphic video of the deadly Jan. 6 attack on Congress after the defeated former president whipped up a rally crowd to "fight like hell” as he encourages a futile battle over his loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Trump is charged by the House with inciting the violent mob attack to overturn the election. Prosecutors argue Trump committed a “grievous constitutional crime," but his defense team insists his fiery words at the rally were just figures of speech. His lawyers said that trying a former president is unconstitutional.
PHOTOS: Scene at U.S. Capitol shows chaos and violence