On impeachment, the stakes are high not only for Trump but also for almost everybody else

The consequences of the Senate impeachment trial that opens Tuesday could be considerable for former President Donald Trump.

And for almost everybody else.

Trump, accustomed to earning the word "unprecedented" while he was in office over the past four years, will do it again out of office – the first president to be impeached twice, and the first to face that historic rebuke even after he had moved out of the White House. That's not the sort of distinction presidents typically aspire to have.

But the stakes have the potential to be even higher for others, especially the Republican Party. In the wake of the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol – the insurrection that triggered these impeachment proceedings – a GOP civil war has been ignited over the party's direction and its tolerance for fringe conspiracy theorists.

For Democrats, the trial will be an early test of the new majority leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, and members of his caucus. Last month, they gained control of the Senate for the first time in six years, albeit only courtesy of Vice President Kamala Harris' tie-breaking vote.

Even Biden, despite doing his best to ignore the risky business at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, isn't likely to escape its effects on his priorities and the capital's political landscape.

One thing the impeachment trial can't do: Evict Trump from the Oval Office. The voters already did that by defeating him for reelection in November.

That said, it can do a lot to define the direction of the nation's politics. It will set a precedent for political behavior (what actions by presidents are considered acceptable?) and for the separation of powers (how and when can Congress hold them accountable?).