Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy will reportedly preside over Trump impeachment trial instead of Chief Justice John Roberts
It appears Chief Justice John Roberts will get his wish and skip former President Donald Trump's upcoming Senate impeachment trial.
CNN reported Monday — and Senate sources later confirmed to NPR and Axios — that Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the president pro tempore of the Senate, will preside over the trial, which is set to begin Feb. 8.
The Constitution dictates the Supreme Court's chief justice oversee a sitting president's impeachment trial, and Roberts did what was required last year when Trump was impeached for the first time, but the fact that this trial is taking place after Trump left office provided some legal wiggle room since there's no precedent for the situation. Roberts reportedly wanted to avoid another Senate trial because he was displeased with the politicization of his role last year.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Assuming there are no changes to the plan, Leahy will now have dual roles during the trial, as he is still expected to serve as a juror along with the other 99 senators. Read more at NPR and Axios.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff Published
-
Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Thailand
Speed Read The law grants same-sex spouses the same rights as married heterosexual couples
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Top Israeli general to resign over Oct. 7 failures
Speed Read Herzi Halevi took responsibility for his failure to prevent the attacks that sparked Israel's war in Gaza
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
80 dead in Colombia amid uptick in guerrilla fighting
Speed Read This was the country's deadliest wave of violence since the peace accords set by President Gustavo Petro in 2016
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Gaza ceasefire, hostage deal on track to start by Monday
Speed Read A deal between Israel and Hamas to release hostages and begin a ceasefire was officially signed by representatives in Doha
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine captures first North Korean soldiers
Speed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted videos of the men captured in Russia's Kursk region
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Lebanon selects president after 2-year impasse
Speed Read The country's parliament elected Gen. Joseph Aoun as its next leader
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US accuses Sudan rebels of genocide, sanctions chief
Speed Read Sudan has been engaged in a bloody civil war that erupted in 2023
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published