Washington — On a day steeped in tradition and decorum, the Senate formally took over President Trump’s impeachment case on Thursday as the chief justice of the Supreme Court and senators swore an oath to administer “impartial justice” in the upcoming trial.
Earlier, House impeachment managers returned to the Senate to present the two articles of impeachment before the assembled senators, reading the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress into the record. The managers will prosecute the case against the president when the trial officially begins next week.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is responsible for presiding over the trial under the Constitution, was escorted to the chamber to swear the oath: “Do you solemnly swear that in all things pertaining to the impeachment of the trial of Donald John Trump, president of the United States, now pending, you will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and the laws, so help you God?”
Roberts in turn administered the oath to the lawmakers in attendance, who proceeded to sign a ceremonial “oath book” formalizing their vow. (One senator, Republican Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, was attending to a family medical issue and was not present.)
The Senate then adjourned until Tuesday, January 21, at 1 p.m., when the trial will formally get underway.
