Trump's Senate impeachment trial will start in February: Chuck Schumer

Former US President Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial will begin during the week of February 8, Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer announced.

The process will start on Monday when the US House of Representatives formally delivers the impeachment charge to the chamber.

The chamber charged Trump with inciting an insurrection against the government on January 6.

"We all want to put this awful chapter in our nation's history behind us. But healing and unity will only come if there is truth and accountability and that is what this trial will provide," CNN quoted Schumer as saying.

Senate leaders struck a deal on Friday to delay former President Donald J. Trump's impeachment trial for two weeks, giving President Biden time to install his cabinet and begin moving a legislative agenda before they begin a historic proceeding to try his predecessor for "incitement of insurrection."

On January 13, one week before Biden took office, the lower chamber in the US Congress voted 232-197 to impeach Trump on charges of inciting violence against the US government.

Although Trump is no longer president, the Senate could still convict him and vote to ban him from ever running for office again.

It was the second time Trump was impeached by the Democratic-controlled House. The first time he was acquitted by the Senate in February of last year (with only 1 Republican voting in favor of one article of impeachment).

However, unlike the impeachment over the Ukraine aid scandal, GOP House lawmakers broke rank--with ten voting to impeach Trump.

It will take 67 votes in the 100-seat Senate to convict Trump on the impeachment charges. This would require 17 GOP senators to break rank.