Trump impeachment trial: US senators sworn in, Chief Justice John Roberts to president

historic impeachment trial of President Donald Trump began on Thursday with preliminary proceedings after swearing-in of 10 senators. Senators will serve as jury to prosecute former over two charges of abusing power and obstructing Congress. main portion of trial will begin next Tuesday.

According to international media, Senate Majority Leer Mitch McConnell said final step on Thursday will be to tify White House and "summon president to answer articles and send his counsel." Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts was sworn in for his role in overseeing process, as per reports.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signed articles of impeachment at a ceremony a day before, moving process forward after delaying for about a month as House Democrats tried to get Senate leers to agree to allow testimony from new witnesses during trial. McConnell has resisted calling witnesses, saying that decision would come later in trial.

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Democratic's voted seven impeachment manrs 

On Wednesday, Democratic-led House voted to formally choose seven impeachment manrs who will serve as prosecutors arguing Trump abused his power and obstructed Congress. y include House Intelligence Committee Chair am Schiff, Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nler, ministration Committee Chair Zoe Lofgren, Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries, Congresswoman Val Demmings, Congressman Jason Crow and Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia. Meanwhile, a senior ministration official told reporters that White House is rey for trial "because facts overwhelmingly show that president did thing wrong."

White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham also reiterated in Trump's defence that he h done thing wrong. "He looks forward to having due process rights in Senate that Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats denied to him, and expects to be fully exonerated," Grisham said.

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Trump's impeachment 

Trump is accused of abusing his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, who served on board of a gas company in Ukraine, as Trump withheld $391 million in military aid that he later released. president is also accused of subsequently obstructing a congressional probe into his actions.

matter what rules are in place for Senate trial, Trump seems to be safe from prospect of being convicted and removed from office. His Republican Party holds a 53-47 majority in chamber, and conviction requires a two-thirds majority, meaning if all Democrats voted to convict, n 20 Republicans would have to also vote that way for Trump to be convicted and removed from office.

This is third time in country's 244-year history a U.S. president has been impeached and targeted for removal from office. Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998 were both impeached by House but acquitted in Senate trials. A fourth president, Richard Nixon, resigned in 1974 in face of certain impeachment in a political corruption scandal.

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(with ANI inputs)