Trump news: Senate impeachment trial 'to begin next week' as Democrats prepare for latest 2020 debate
Mitch McConnell picks a date for Senate proceedings as opponents demand 'fair trial'
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has been accused of “engaging in hate speech against an entire religion” after retweeting a meme of senior Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer in Muslim dress as press secretary Stephanie Grisham explained he posted it to attack the opposition for “almost taking the side of terrorists” in the Iran crisis.
A US cybersecurity firm has meanwhile alleged that Russian military agents successfully hacked Ukrainian gas company Burisma — at the heart of the impeachment inquiry over its ties to Hunter Biden, son of Mr Trump’s leading 2020 opponent Joe Biden — suggesting it attempted to steal emails with a view to again influencing an American presidential election.
On impeachment, Republicans in the Senate appear to be backing down from the idea of dismissing the two articles against the president outright after admitting they do not have the votes to see through such a controversial move.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell instead has announced that the Senate will plan to begin the president's impeachment trial on 21 January, provided that House Democrats send articles of impeachment and assign case managers to the Senate proceedings on Wednesday.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not get assurance from the Republican leader who has previously gloated about his coordination with the White House and pledged support for dismissing the articles outright.
Mr McConnell also did not say whether the Senate will bring up witnesses or evidence for the trial, saying instead he'll determine whether to do that "at the appropriate time".
Speaker Pelosi said a Senate dismissal of the charges against the president amounts to a "pure political cover-up".
Meanwhile, Democrats are pressuring the White House to release billions of dollars in aid to Puerto Rico, still suffering from 2017 hurricanes in addition to the ongoing earthquakes that have displaced thousands of people, as reports emerge that the president is considering diverting billions from the Pentagon to pay for his US-Mexico border wall.
Democrats also announced an investigation into the Trump administration's "Remain in Mexico" anti-immigration measure at the border, which "has morphed into a policy whereby refugees and asylum seekers are being kept in Mexico indefinitely and without due process or access to counsel".
Follow live coverage as it happened:
After he was seen shaking hands with the president at last night's college football championship game in the Superdome in New Orleans, actor Vince Vaughn — who considers himself a libertarian and has supported Republicans in the past — is apparently getting some heat:
Senate could pass resolution to curb Trump's war powers with Iran
Democratic Senator (and one-time VP pick) Tim Kaine says he has 51 votes to pass a resolution aimed at preventing Donald Trump's military action in Iran without congressional approval.
With every Democrat signed on to support the resolution, the measure would need just four Republican votes to pass the body with a majority.
Signed on are Republicans Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Todd Young and Susan Collins, the Virginia Democrat said.
We're wrapping up live coverage of the Trump administration today as the president prepares for a campaign rally in Milwaukee and Democrats head into another presidential debate.
Stay tuned with The Independent for more.
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