Schumer vows to move forward with Trump trial despite setback

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) vowed on Wednesday to move forward with former President Trump’s second impeachment trial even as Republicans appear poised to acquit him.

“I would simply say to all of my colleagues make no mistake, there will be a trial, and the evidence against the former president will be presented in living color for the nation and every one of us to see once again,” Schumer said from the Senate floor.

“No one will be able to avert their gaze from what Mr. Trump said and did and the consequences of his actions. … We will all watch what happened. We will listen to what happened and then we will vote,” he said.

Schumer’s comments come after 45 Republicans backed an effort to deem Trump’s trial unconstitutional because he’s already left office.

Five Republicans voted with Democrats to squash the effort by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

It’s the clearest sign that there are not the votes to convict Trump at the end of the second impeachment trial, which is scheduled to start in roughly two weeks.

If every Democratic senator voted to convict, they would need 17 GOP senators to vote with them.

Democrats acknowledged on Wednesday that, given the support for Paul‘s motion, getting the votes was unlikely.

“The vote on the Paul motion yesterday was completely clarifying that we’re not going to get near 67,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.).

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) added that it’s an “uphill battle to get to 17 votes.”