Biden ‘wants Democrats to keep Trump trial short so his agenda isn’t derailed’

Democratic aides in Congress describe delay to legislative action as ‘frustrating’ as Republicans unlikely to convict former president

US president Joe Biden wants the Senate’s second impeachment trial of Donald Trump to be short so that it avoids derailing his agenda, according to a report.

A Biden administration ally told the Hill that the US president would allow the impeachment trial to “play out,” and hope the process is short, in remarks that were published on Saturday.

It has become increasingly clear that no conviction will be passed against Mr Trump, who was impeached for the “incitement of insurrection” before the 6 January riot on the US Capitol.

As few as five senate Republicans voted against a last minute bid to dismiss the trial altogether on Monday, making it clear that no conviction will be passed - which would need two-thirds support.

Now, the Biden administration will seemingly allow the process to “play out” when the trial starts on 8 February, an ally said, with Democrats in Congress warning that it would be unwise for them to now question the process, the Hill reported.

It also comes as the president, who promised to unify both sides of the aisle, awaits the passing of several pieces of his legislative agenda, which include a coronavirus relief package worth $1.9 trillion ($1.38 trillion).

“He's going to let the Senate do what it needs to do,” said an ally close to the White House, who added that they had come to expect Republican’s shifting stance on impeachment.

“We always knew this would be the position we're in now with Republicans,” commented the source, who said the president is “going to respect the process and let it play out.”

Another ally added: “He's come to the White House with a strong unity message and the last thing he wants is for the impeachment trial to define the early days of his presidency.”

While some senior Biden advisers are said to support impeachment, some Congressional Democrats have warned that the trial will likely delay the Biden administration’s agenda, and see few Republicans actually convict the former president.

An aide to a Senate Democratic said to the Hill: “We already know the outcome before it starts and that’s frustrating to everybody.”

President Biden, who said in the days after the riot on the Capitol that “What the Congress decides to do is for them to decide,” said this week he believed the trial of his predecessor “has to happen.”