A U.S. House of Representatives committee has delayed a vote on formal impeachment charges against U.S. President Donald Trump until Friday.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler ended a day-long hearing Thursday, with a promise to reconvene for a vote on Friday morning. A full vote in the Democratic-controlled chamber is expected in the middle of next week.
A deep partisan rift was on full display during Thursday's hearings as committee members argued over charges of presidential misconduct. Republicans denounced the process as an illegitimate attack on the president, as Democrats rejected their opponents' efforts to quash the articles of impeachment.
Trump hits out at 'hoax'
Democrats accuse Trump of abusing his power by trying to force Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden and of obstructing Congress when lawmakers tried to look into the matter. The president has denied wrongdoing and condemned the impeachment inquiry as a hoax.
Trump appeared to be watching some of the proceedings, tweeting rebuttals to Democratic arguments as they were made. He said Democrats were misrepresenting his talks with Ukraine and called the proceedings a "phony hearing."
Doug Collins (R-GA), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, speaks as chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Republican counsel Ashley Hurt Callen, James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), and Steve Chabot (R-OH) listen during a hearing in Washington, U.S., December 12, 2019. /Reuters Photo
If the House impeaches Trump, who is charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, he would then go on trial in the Senate. The Republican-led chamber is unlikely to vote to find the president guilty and remove him from office.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters the full House would take up the articles of impeachment next week if approved by the committee. Should the House vote for the articles, he will become only the third U.S. president to be impeached and placed on trial in the Senate.
How long would a trial last?
White House counsel Pat Cipollone and legislative liaison Eric Ueland met on Thursday afternoon with Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader to discuss the potential for a Senate trial, probably in January.
McConnell said on Wednesday no decision had been made over how to conduct the trial, with a debate ongoing as to whether a short or long trial would be more politically beneficial to Trump.
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Trump has signaled to aides that he wants a full-throated defense in the Senate, with witnesses testifying live before the 100 members.
But Republican leaders, mindful of political fallout, indicated they would rather not see the process turn into a drawn-out spectacle. "If it goes over to the Senate I don't think it should have to last that long," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters.
Republican Senator Kevin Cramer said he thought the Senate trial would last a week to two weeks at most. "The sooner we can dismiss it the better," he told Reuters, "especially when it's going to be 10 months from the next election."
(With input from agencies)