Senators sworn in for Trump impeachment trial

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky forced a procedural vote on the constitutionality of the trial Tuesday afternoon, in what amounted to the first test of how Senate Republicans view the upcoming trial, the substance of which will begin with arguments next month. The Senate voted to table, or kill, Paul’s point of order, 55 to 45, with just five Republicans joining Democrats to vote against dismissing the trial.

The five Republicans who voted against Paul were Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

The Kentucky Republican said Tuesday that he forced the procedural vote to show there already aren’t sufficient votes to convict Trump, which would require two-thirds of senators. Many Republicans have taken the position in recent days that the trial is not constitutional because Trump is no longer President, in what’s become the most common argument to acquit Trump.

“I think it showed that impeachment is dead on arrival,” Paul said after the vote. “If you voted it was unconstitutional, how in the world would you ever vote to convict somebody for this?”