The President

Republicans To Turn Tables On Democrats In Trump Impeachment Trial

Republicans may use controversial past comments by Democrats to downplay former President Trump's speech at Jan. 6 rally.

Republicans To Turn Tables On Democrats In Trump Impeachment Trial
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A historic week ahead for America...the impeachment trial of Donald Trump in the Senate starts Tuesday. 

Ahead of that... more than half of Americans think Trump should be convicted and barred from office...56 percent according to an IPSOS/ABC News poll.

Some early signals were sent Sunday by both sides.

Rep. Avanna Pressley, Democrat from Massachusetts said on CNN, "If we really believe that this is a moment of reckoning in every way, then we must act accordingly, and that means that Donald J. Trump must be held accountable because he is culpable for having incited this insurrection by perpetuating this big lie.”

"I think this is a very bad idea," Sen. Lindsey Graham, Republican from South Carolina, said on CBS. "Uh, 45 plus Republicans are going to vote early on that it's unconstitutional. It's not a question of how the trial ends.

It's not only former President Trump's words and what effect they may have had on the insurrection. His lawyers reportedly plan to use the words of Democrats on other occasions to try to even the score. 

It'll take 67 senators to vote to convict Trump. That would require 17 Republicans to join to convict — considered a long shot.

Newsy will have gavel to gavel live coverage of the historic second impeachment trial of Donald Trump this week. Tune in wherever you watch Newsy to see it unfold without interruption.