Senate votes that Trump impeachment trial is constitutional, even as most Republicans vote against proceeding. Trump’s second impeachment trial opens in the Senate, first for an ex-president.
However, a wide array of Senate Republicans harshly criticized former President Donald Trump’s defense team on the opening day of his second impeachment trial, arguing that Trump attorney Bruce Castor had delivered a rambling and unfocused argument in making the case that the proceedings are unconstitutional.
“I thought the President’s lawyer, the first lawyer, just rambled on and on and on,” John Cornyn of Texas, a member of Senate GOP leadership, said of Castor, adding that the lawyer “didn’t really address the constitutional argument. Finally the second lawyer got around to it, and, I thought, did an effective job.”
Castor opened Trump’s defense with a meandering presentation and warned that a second impeachment trial in 13 months would “open the floodgates” to future impeachments, even making…