Sep 30, 2019

McConnell says Senate will put Trump on trial if House votes to impeach

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on CNBC Monday that the Senate would have "no choice" but to put President Trump on trial if the House votes to pass articles of impeachment.

"Well, under the Senate rules, we're required to take it up if the House does go down that path, and we'll follow the Senate rules ... It's a Senate rule related to impeachment that would take 67 votes to change, so I would have no choice but to take it up. How long you're on it is a whole different matter, but I would have no choice but to take it up, based on a Senate rule on impeachment."

— McConnell

Why it matters: McConnell previously said in March that the Senate would take up impeachment if articles passed the House, but this is the first time he has confirmed that point since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry over the Trump-Ukraine scandal. There was speculation that McConnell would refuse to put Trump on trial.

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Orion Rummler

Report: How Mitch McConnell is planning for impeachment

McConnell answers questions about possible impeachment proceedings on Sept. 24, 2019. Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Republicans at a closed-door lunch on Wednesday that he expects the House to adopt articles of impeachment as soon as Thanksgiving, Politico reports.

Where it stands: With that timeline, McConnell reportedly estimated the Senate could conduct and conclude an impeachment trial by Christmas. On Wednesday, Senate Republicans asked McConnell "how they can force a vote to dismiss the trial and whether it’s possible to work on legislation in the mornings," per Politico.

Go deeperOct 16, 2019

Ursula Perano

Mitch McConnell: Impeachment will fail with me as Senate majority leader

Photo: Tom Brenner/Getty Images

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a new Facebook ad that impeachment will fail under his leadership, despite acknowledging last week that he would hold a trial if the House approves articles of impeachment against President Trump.

"Nancy Pelosi's in the clutches of a left-wing mob. They finally convinced her to impeach the president. All of you know your Constitution. The way that impeachment stops is a Senate majority with me as majority leader."

Go deeperOct 6, 2019

Rebecca Falconer

McConnell denies Trump claim that he called Ukraine call "innocent"

Mitch McConnell conducts a news conferencein the Capitol on Tuesday. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday he hadn't spoken with President Trump about the memorandum of his July phone call with Ukraine's leader that's at the center of the impeachment inquiry. That's despite Trump quoting McConnell on Oct. 3 as saying, "That was the most innocent phone call that I’ve read."

Go deeperOct 23, 2019