President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, like many of his administration’s actions before it, has ventured into uncharted legal territory.
The trial lacks definitive answers on key issues, either from federal courts or the Senate itself, which has fed an undercurrent of uncertainty about what happens next in an institution usually steeped in precedents and traditions.
How the Senate tackles these issues over the coming days — from the bar for removing a president to how witnesses testify at an impeachment trial — likely will set standards for presidential behavior and congressional oversight efforts long after Trump leaves office. Adding to the uncertainty were reports late Tuesday that there were now enough votes to call witnesses, but how many and the manner in which they would be examined or deposed was unknown. Continue reading.