Drexel University Professor Details What To Expect From Wednesday's Historic Vote On Impeaching President Trump
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Just hours before a historic impeachment vote, President Donald Trump lashed out against Democrats. The buzz on Capitol Hill Tuesday night is the six-page letter the president wrote to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi -- a letter she called "really sick."
On the eve of a historic full House of Representatives vote on articles of impeachment, President Trump sent a blistering six-page letter to Pelosi.
"You and others on your committees have long said impeachment must be bipartisan -- it is not. You said it was very divisive -- it certainly is ... and it will only get worse," President Trump wrote.
Drexel politics professor Bill Rosenberg has been closely following the impeachment proceedings. Wednesday's expected vote could lead to the third presidential impeachment in our nation's history.
"The president is being indicted for a crime and then the trial is what's going to take place in the Senate," Rosenberg explained.
In the trial, senators would have to vote in a two-thirds super majority -- 67 votes -- to remove President Trump from office.
But the Senate is currently in Republican control, so Rosenberg says reaching that number will be difficult.
"I think it's very unlikely the president will be removed from office," he said.
But if President Trump is somehow removed from office, which would be the first time in U.S. history, Rosenberg has a fascinating theory on what could happen next.
"He can be convicted by the Senate but potentially he could continue to decide he's going to run in 2020 and he could get re-elected unless, independently, the Senate votes he's no longer able to hold an office of public trust," Rosenberg said.
So when could we see a Senate trial happen?
If the House votes to impeach President Trump, which is expected to happen Wednesday, the Senate trial could start after the holiday break in early 2020.
CBS3 will have live coverage of the House debate and vote Wednesday.
