DONALD Trump’s impeachment trial is under way with the Senate to decide whether the former President incited the Capitol riot.

Trump faces a single charge of incitement to insurrection after he told a crowd to “fight like hell” for his presidency shortly before a large mob stormed the Capitol in violent scenes that resulted in multiple deaths.

Trump is the first president in history to face charges after leaving office, but prosecutors insist the nature of his alleged “most grievous constitutional crime” demands his conviction post-presidency.

In his defence, Trump’s lawyers say that in the same speech he’d urged followers to “peacefully and patriotically” make their voices heard and insist certain phrases have been “cherry picked” to make him look bad.

They additionally claim that even if Trump’s words were inflammatory, he is protected under First Amendment rights to free speech, and say none of it really matters anyway as he’s currently an unimpeachable private citizen.

Trump, who is currently said to be enjoying his life as a citizen at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, has declined to personally testify at the hearing.

Follow our Donald Trump live blog below for up to the minute updates on the impeachment...

BREAKING: MAJORITY OF SENATE SAYS TRUMP IMPEACHMENT TRIAL ‘IS CONSTITUTIONAL’

A majority of the US Senate on Tuesday voted to hold a full impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump when they backed Democrats’ argument that the proceeding is allowed under the U.S. Constitution.

Trump’s lawyers argued that as a former president, the Senate has no legal standing for holding a trial on the House of Representatives’ impeachment charge that he incited an insurrection while in office.
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL TO CONTINUE THROUGH WEEKEND – REPORT

Here we go: The resolution is clear. The plan is that senators will go straight through the weekend on impeachment including Sunday. It’s possible this trial could be over by Sunday/Monday if there aren’t witnesses. Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/Dx5WNm0U0E

— Lauren Fox (@FoxReports) February 9, 2021
WATCH: TRUMP IMPEACHMENT TRIAL WILL ‘DESTROY PRESIDENCY’

Donald Trump impeachment trial will ‘destroy the presidency’ and put future leaders at risk, says Lindsey Graham

DEMOCRAT IMPEACHMENT MANAGER JAMIE RASKIN WELLS UP DURING TRIAL

Rep. Jamie Raskin, the lead House impeachment manager, grew emotional as he concluded the Democrats first round of arguments in former President Donald Trumps second impeachment trial.

Raskin spoke about his personal experience in the Capitol on Jan. 6. He had been joined by family members that day the day after he had buried his son, who took his own life in December.

His daughter and son-in-law were in an office in the Capitol and hid under a desk, where they sent what they thought were their final texts. He says, They thought they were going to die.

Separated from them in the House chamber, Raskin described people around him calling to say goodbye to their families, members removing their congressional pins to try to evade detection. And he said he heard the rioters pounding on the door like a battering ram a sound he said he would never forget.
MONTAGE OF DEMOCRATS CALLING FOR TRUMP’S IMPEACHMENT PLAYED DURING TRIAL

A VIDEO montage of Democrats calling for Donald Trump’s impeachment since the start of his presidency was played at the “dangerous snap trial.”

David Schoen – an Alabama-based civil rights and criminal defense lawyer representing Trump’s defense team – had the footage played after slammed the impeachment managers’ video montage.

He dubbed the clips of the violent Capitol riot – which were viewed at the start of Trump’s second impeachment hearing – as “some sort of bloodsport.”

The compilation of clips played by Schoen showed various Dems urging for Donald Trump’s impeachment.

One of the video clips featured Democrat Maxine Waters saying: “I will fight everyday until he is impeached.”

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TRUMP ACCUSED BY DEMOCRATS OF BETRAYING AMERICA

A group of nine House Democratic impeachment managers will prosecute the ex-President’s case.

They have accused Donald Trump of betraying the country and the Constitution by fomenting acts of violence after falsely claiming the presidential election had been “stolen” from him by vote fraud.

“The House did not impeach President Trump because he expressed an unpopular political opinion,” House managers wrote earlier this month.

“It impeached him because he wilfully incited violent insurrection against the government.”
IMPEACHMENT OF TRUMP ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’ – POLL

According to Rep Matt Gaetz, a poll revealed that 70 per cent of Wyoming voters believe Donald Trump’s impeachment is unconstitutional and two-thirds of voters disapprove of Republican Liz Cheney’s vote to impeach him.

Cheney was one of only 10 House Republicans who voted in favor of impeaching the 45th president.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy reinforced his support for Cheney during a break in the private session.
HOW LONG WILL TRUMP’S SECOND IMPEACHMENT TRIAL LAST?

Trump’s last impeachment trial spanned almost three weeks.

This time around, however, it is believed it will be wrapped up much quicker.

It could be resolved within the week.

Trump was first impeached by the House of Representatives on December 18, 2019.

However, the Senate acquitted Trump of the charges on February 5, 2020.
HOW CAN I WATCH THE TRUMP IMPEACHMENT?

The trial will be carried on all major TV news networks, such as CNN, Fox, and MSNBC.

There will be live coverage from CNN and the New York Time will also livestream on their website.

You can also stay right here on our live blog to see the latest developments in the trial.

WHY IS TRUMP BEING IMPEACHED AGAIN?

Trump has been accused of inciting insurrection by encouraging his supporters to storm the Capitol in Washington DC on January 6.

Speaking at a Save America rally near the White House, the then-president repeated his claim that the presidential election was “stolen” from him.

Read more here.
US SAYS JURY IS ‘STILL OUT’ ON CHINA’S PANDEMIC TRANSPARENCY

The United States said on Tuesday the “jury’s still out” on whether China has been fully transparent on the coronavirus pandemic, after a World Health Organization report said it was unlikely the Covid-19 virus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China.

State Department spokesman Ned Price told a daily news briefing the United States looked forward to seeing the full report and would make an assessment based on science and data.
TRUMP’S ‘FIGHT LIKE HELL’ COMMENT WAS NOT A PUSH FOR VIOLENCE

Donald Trump’s lawyers are adamant his impeachment trial should not be held at all because the former president is now a private citizen.

They argue that he did not incite the Capitol violence when he told his supporters to “fight like hell” to overturn his presidential defeat.
WHO ARE DONALD TRUMP’S LAWYERS?

Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial is set to begin on Tuesday, February 9, in the Senate.

Trump is the only president in US history to be impeached twice by the House of Representatives. He was charged with “incitement of insurrection” in connection with the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Read more here.
WATCH: TRIAL KICKS OFF WITH VIDEOS OF CAPTIOL RIOT AND DONALD TRUMP’S SPEECH

Impeachment trial kicks off with dramatic vids of Capitol riot chaos and Trump’s speech
LINDSEY GRAHAM SAYS ‘DEMS HAVE DECLARED WAR’

DONALD Trump’s impeachment trial will “destroy the presidency” and put future leaders at risk, Lindsey Graham said.

The Republican senator told Sean Hannity on Fox News that the trial will “make history for the rest of the time America exists”.

Read more here.

EXPLAINED: WHAT ARE THE STEPS OF THE IMPEACHMENT PROCESS?
What are the steps of the Impeachment process?
Trump is facing his second impeachment as members of Congress charge him with inciting insurrection

The House has sole power to begin the impeachment process

Members of the House bring forward articles of Impeachment with which to charge an official (like President Trump)

The House would usually hold a Judiciary Committee investigation and hearings before making an official vote on whether or not that official will be charged

The House votes on whether or not to impeach the official

If the vote passes in the house, the impeachment will move forward to the Senate

The Senate then holds hearings

In the hearings, members of the House will serve as prosecutors before the Senate

The Senate considers evidence and witness testimonies as they weigh whether or not to convict

Senators then vote to convict or acquit the official that has been impeached

If the Senate passes with the required two-thirds vote, the official is removed from office
DONALD TRUMP JR SEEKS POLITICAL REVENGE OVER IMPEACHMENT

Donald Trump Jr will reportedly campaign against Republican Liz Cheney in her home state after she controversially voted to impeach his father.

Trump‘s eldest son reportedly remarked “I hear it’s lovely during primary season” in an apparent reference to an upcoming trip to Wyoming to take on Cheney.

The primary won’t be held until August 2022 – but Trump Jr’s message was a clear warning to the congresswoman that the Trump family won’t forget she was one of ten House Republicans to vote to impeach.
HOW LONG WILL DONALD TRUMP’S IMPEACHMENT TRIAL LAST?

Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial will open today, Tuesday, with four hours of debate on whether the trial is constitutional.

The Senate will then vote on whether to dismiss the charge of incitement of insurrection against Trump.

If that vote fails, as expected, the House managers will begin their arguments Wednesday and continue into Thursday.

The trial will likely last more than a week, suggests the Associated Press.
REPORTS SUGGEST FBI ‘KNEW IN ADVANCE VIOLENCE WOULD OCCUR IN CAPITOL’

News reports “suggest the FBI knew in advance that violence would occur – the US Capitol Police also reportedly understood that there was a ‘strong potential for violence’ that day,” adds Rep. Jim Jordan.

He also writes for Fox News: “Pipe bombs had been placed before President Trump’s speech. So how can Democrats accuse President Trump of inciting violence when the violent acts had been planned in advance?

“Democrats are going to these lengths because they are obsessed with canceling President Trump.

“Democrats tried to impeach President Trump at least nine times since January 2017. They investigated him endlessly – the Russia hoax, the Mueller investigation, the first sham impeachment. They pestered him, his family and his associates.

“But President Trump wasn’t fazed. He got results for the American people.”
WEEK-LONG WAIT FOR IMPEACHMENT DECISION

Donald Trump’s lawyers are likely to begin their arguments this Friday and finish Saturday.

That almost certainly means a final vote on Trump’s possible conviction won’t happen until next week.
DEMOCRATS’ BID TO LINK VIOLENCE TO TRUMP

While Donald Trump’s acquittal is expected, Democrats hope to gain at least some Senate Republican votes.

They’ll aim to do so by linking the ex-President’s actions to a vivid description of the Capitol violence, which resulted in five deaths and sent lawmakers fleeing for safety on January 6, 2021.

TRUMP’S ‘FIGHT LIKE HELL’ QUIP NOT A PUSH FOR VIOLENCE

Donald Trump’s lawyers are adamant his impeachment trial should not be held at all because the former president is now a private citizen.

They argue that he did not incite the Capitol violence when he told his supporters to “fight like hell” to overturn his presidential defeat.
HOW LONG WILL THE TRIAL LAST?

Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial will open today, Tuesday, with four hours of debate on whether the trial is constitutional.

The Senate will then vote on whether to dismiss the charge of incitement of insurrection against Trump.

If that vote fails, as expected, the House managers will begin their arguments Wednesday and continue into Thursday.

The trial will likely last more than a week, suggests the Associated Press.
‘DEMS HAVE DECLARED WAR’: LINDSEY GRAHAM

Donald Trump’s impeachment trial will “destroy the presidency” and put future leaders at risk, warns a concerned Lindsey Graham.

The Republican senator told Sean Hannity on Fox News that the trial will “make history for the rest of the time America exists”.

He said: “What Democrats have done is basically declare war on the presidency itself.

“The impeachment in the House took place without a hearing, without one witness being called, and without a lawyer for the president of the United States.

“You can’t get a traffic ticket based on the procedures they used to impeach President Trump.”
IMPEACHMENT OF TRUMP ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’ – POLL

According to Rep Matt Gaetz, a poll revealed that 70 per cent of Wyoming voters believe Donald Trump’s impeachment is unconstitutional and two-thirds of voters disapprove of Republican Liz Cheney’s vote to impeach him.

Cheney was one of only 10 House Republicans who voted in favor of impeaching the 45th president.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy reinforced his support for Cheney during a break in the private session.