Saturday’s impeachment trail of former President Donald Trump began with an unexpected call to subpoena witnesses, a move that suggested a verdict would be delayed. The change was prompted by a Friday night statement by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler. The Washington state Republican had said that Trump, on a call with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, appeared unconcerned about the safety of lawmakers who were in the building preparing to certify Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 presidential election.
But after Herrera Beutler’s statement was admitted into the record, the trial moved on to closing arguments, with each side allotted two hours to summarize its case. After that, the trial is expected to move to a vote to either acquit or convict Trump of the charge of “incitement of insurrection.”
The trial has run ahead of schedule, as Trump lawyers Bruce Castor, David Schoen and Michael van der Veen concluded their defense presentation after a few hours on Friday, instead of taking the full 16 hours allotted to them.
Following the defense team’s presentation, which included a video montage of Democratic leaders saying the word “fight,” the two sides fielded questions from senators (key questions here). The defense said the trial is unconstitutional because Trump is no longer a sitting president. Trump rejected a request to testify under oath either before or during the Senate trial.
The prosecution argued that Trump willfully incited the deadly attack on Capitol Hill. Graphic, newly released footage depicted the attack on the Capitol, including clips from security cameras showing members of Congress running away from people wielding firearms, baseball bats and riot shields after the mob shattered windows, beat down doors and attempted to hunt down specific lawmakers, including former Vice President Mike Pence.
Trump is the first president in US history to be impeached twice and the first to be tried after his term ended. Before he left office, the House of Representatives voted 232-197 to impeach Trump. If two-thirds of the Senate votes to convict him, there could be an additional vote to disqualify Trump from holding public office again.
Here’s how to watch previously unreleased footage, and these are the most important moments and facts about Trump’s impeachment trial so far.
What time does Trump’s impeachment trial end Saturday?
The trial started Saturday at 10 a.m. ET (7 a.m. PT). The House trial managers and defense teams are currently making their final arguments. The Senate is expected to vote on its verdict within hours.
Read more: 14th Amendment Section 3: What it is and what it has to do with Trump
Where to watch the impeachment trial live right now
The Senate impeachment trial is being aired on most major TV news networks Saturday. If you don’t have cable, here’s where you can view the trial for free.