Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says there is "no chance" that the Senate will be able to hold a "fair or serious" trial on the impeachment of US President Donald Trump before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in next week.
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The House voted Wednesday to impeach Trump for the second time, with 10 Republicans joining Democrats to support an article for incitement of insurrection after the president egged on a violent mob of his supporters who ransacked the Capitol last week.
McConnell told his GOP colleagues in a note earlier on Wednesday that he had not yet decided on whether he would vote to convict.
After the vote, he said that a trial would last longer than the seven days Trump has in office.
McConnell noted that three previous impeachments "have lasted 83 days, 37 days, and 21 days respectively".
McConnell says he thinks the nation is best served if "Congress and the executive branch spend the next seven days completely focused on facilitating a safe inauguration and an orderly transfer of power to the incoming Biden administration".
Australian Associated Press
