Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D- NY) said the impeachment trial of Former President Donald Trump that begins this week should proceed even though many of her Republican colleagues in the Senate have already signaled that they have no intention of voting to convict him.
“Not only did a Capitol policeman get bludgeoned and died from those injuries, but we also had suicide, so the truth is we have to have accountability,” Gillibrand said. “All those who committed the riots and the violence have to be brought to justice. We need the impeachment process because I certainly believe that President Trump incited this insurrection and he should be held accountable for that.
It would take 17 Republicans and every Democrat and Independent in the chamber to convict Trump. If senators like Gillibrand are not able to get enough votes, Gillibrand said there may be other options on the table.
“I do think the fact that he is the only president in history to be impeached twice by the House of Representatives is some measure of accountability, but we will look at whether we should do a censure motion afterward, particularly if it fails,” She said.
If the Senate does convict Trump, Gillibrand said she would be in favor of voting to bar the former president from holding federal office in the future.
