Mitch McConnell

The U.S. Senate plunged into President Donald Trump's impeachment trial on Jan. 21 with Republicans abruptly abandoning plans to cram opening arguments into two late-night sessions and Democrats arguing for more witnesses to expose Trump's "trifecta" of offenses.

The impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump in the Senate is likely to begin on Jan. 21, said Republican House Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, cited by Reuters.

He suggested that some preparatory procedures would be completed this week.

U.S. President Donald Trump's articles of impeachment will likely be transmitted "soon" to the Senate, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Jan. 9.

The top House Democrat did not offer a more concrete timeline but said only that she would do so "when I'm ready."

"And that will probably be soon," she told reporters at the Capitol.
"I'm not withholding them indefinitely."

The standoff over President Donald Trump's impeachment trial deepened as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said there will be "no haggling'' with Democrats as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi demands for more details and witnesses.

Union leaders and federal workers participate in a civil disobedience outside the office of Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell at Senate Russell Office Building on Jan. 23 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP)

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks at the press conference after the Senate vote of the tax reform bill. The Senate has passed the tax reform bill and it will return to the House of Representatives for final approval.  The rewrite of the tax code provides dramatic tax breaks to corporations.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a bill late o Sept. 8 extending the government debt limit for three months and providing about $15 billion in hurricane-related aid, bringing his surprising deal with Democratic congressional leaders this week to completion.

The White House insisted Aug. 23 that President Donald Trump and the U.S. Senate's top Republican Mitch McConnell were "united" on their political priorities, after reports of fallout between the pair.

In a stinging blow to President Donald Trump, U.S. Senate Republicans failed on July 28 to dismantle Obamacare, falling short on a major campaign promise and perhaps ending a seven-year quest by their party to gut the healthcare law.

The Senate blocked the latest Republican attempt to repeal Obamacare in a dramatic floor vote early Friday morning, yet again stalling — for now — the key campaign goal that eludes the GOP six months into the Trump administration.