The rules for the Trump impeachment trial are set after fiery marathon Senate session: Here's what happened
Impeachment,Mitch McConnell,US Senate,Politics
The rules and general procedures outlining how the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump will move forward were set with the passage of a resolution along party lines after a marathon Senate session that stretched into early Wednesday.
Democrats put forward 11 amendments that would have issued subpoenas to current and former Trump administration officials and to various government entities for relevant documents and information. All were defeated in the Republican-controlled Senate.
The resolution calls for opening statements to begin Wednesday at 1 p.m. Both sides will each have 24 hours over three to days to argue the case.
Here's at what happened Tuesday ahead of the eventual passage of the resolution:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., originally proposed allowing the House managers prosecuting the case and Trump's defense team 24 hours over two days to present their cases. McConnell's first version of the resolution also did not automatically enter evidence gathered by the House into the Senate’s record.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, joined Democrats in criticizing the resolution and led a push to change McConnell's proposal to more closely mirror the format of the 1999 impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton. She said the final version was a "significant improvement."
Chief Justice John Roberts admonished both the House managers and the president’s counsel after a fiery back-and-forth debating whether former national security adviser John Bolton should be subpoenaed to testify before the Senate.
Related Coverage
AllSides Picks
Headline Roundup
Trump Signs Order Renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America
August 27th, 2026
Headline Roundup
PA Gov. Shapiro Signs Order Requiring Stricter Data Center Regulation
August 25th, 2026
Recommended Reading
When AOC Takes a Step Back—and Possibly Forward
Dan Schnur
August 24th, 2026
Recommended Reading
When Establishment Democrats Dodge a BulletÂ
Dan Schnur
August 17th, 2026