Trump impeachment trial set to loom over Biden’s first weeks in office

The article of impeachment against former US president Donald Trump is to be sent to the Senate on Monday, paving the way for a trial that threatens to overshadow the first weeks of Joe Biden's presidency.

Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer announced yesterday evening that the Senate trial would not start until the week beginning February 8th, giving both sides an opportunity to prepare their arguments.

Mr Biden, who was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, has issued a range of executive orders and directives this week, signalling his desire to break with the policy objectives of the Trump administration. But many of his legislative priorities, including a $1.9 trillion (€1.56 trillion) Covid-19 relief package and an immigration reform Bill, will need congressional support.

Speaking at yesterday's White House press briefing, press secretary Jen Psaki declined to say whether House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi had consulted Mr Biden before she announced the decision to trigger the next step in the impeachment process.

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But Ms Psaki insisted Mr Biden’s agenda would not be constrained, asserting both Democrats and Republicans could “walk and chew gum at the same time”. She said work would continue on other matters once the trial began, and stressed negotiations on Mr Biden’s coronavirus relief package could not wait. “If there’s a Senate trial, the House can move forward,” she said.

Asked if the president believed Mr Trump should be convicted, she said that was a matter for the Senate. Mr Biden is "no longer in the Senate and he believes it's up to the Senate and Congress to determine how they will hold the former president accountable", she said.

The move by Ms Pelosi to send the impeachment article to the Senate, in consultation with Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, followed a call by Republican Mitch McConnell to delay the trial until mid-February. Late yesterday Mr Schumer announced that the trial would begin around February 8th, effectively allowing a two-week pause to permit both sides to prepare arguments. This is likely to appease Republicans like Mr McConnell, who argued that Mr Trump had a right to due process and had raised concerns about the speed of the process.

Mr Biden unveiled a new package of financial measures yesterday to combat the economic effect of the pandemic, including an expansion of the food stamp programme and an order to increase the federal minimum wage.

Speaking at the White House, the new president pledged to “grow the economy for all Americans”, noting rising eviction, child poverty and unemployment levels.

“These are not the values of our nation. We cannot – will not – let people go hungry, we cannot let people be evicted because of nothing they did themselves. We cannot watch people lose their jobs . . . We have to act, and we have to act now.”

Pointing to the current climate of low interest rates, he also made the case for his coronavirus investment package, which he said had been welcomed by mayors across the country and by Wall Street, as well as by former Trump administration officials such as economic adviser Kevin Hassett.

Also yesterday, Lloyd Austin became the second member of Mr Biden's cabinet to be approved, after the Senate confirmed his nomination as defence secretary.

Mr Austin, a former general, will become the first African-American in history to lead the Pentagon.