WASHINGTON (REUTERS) – US President Joe Biden said on Monday (Jan 25) he does not believe there will be enough votes to convict former President Donald Trump at his impeachment trial, CNN reported.

Mr Biden said he does not think 17 Republican senators will vote to convict Mr Trump, the number necessary if all 50 Democrats vote for a conviction, according to CNN, which said it conducted a brief interview with Mr Biden.

The US House of Representatives on Monday delivered to the Senate a charge accusing Mr Trump with inciting insurrection in a speech to his supporters before the deadly attack on the Capitol, setting in motion his second impeachment trial.

Nine House Democrats who will serve as prosecutors in the trial, following the clerk of the House and the acting sergeant at arms, carried the written accusation through the Capitol Rotunda and to the Senate chamber, following the same path that a mob of Trump supporters took on Jan 6 as they clashed with police.

The Senate is expected to start a trial on Feb 9 on the article of impeachment against Mr Trump.

The 100 senators are due to serve as jurors in proceedings that could result in Mr Trump’s disqualification from ever again serving as president.

Ten House Republicans joined Democrats in voting to impeach Mr Trump on Jan 13. Senate Democrats will need the support of 17 Republicans to convict him in the Senate, a steep climb given the continued allegiance to Mr Trump among the Republican Party’s conservative base of voters.

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