The trial against former President Trump is advancing

A majority of Republicans in the U.S. Senate voted Tuesday against accusations against former President Donald Trump of inciting rebellion linked to the Jan. 6 attacks on the Capitol, signaling that he is likely to have enough votes to secure innocence. . The vote was 55-45 in favor of opening the trial, but only five Republicans joined the 50 Democratic senators. Two-thirds of the senators' vote is needed to find him guilty, meaning 17 Republican senators would have to vote alongside 50 Democratic senators to find former President Trump guilty after the full trial is expected to start on February 9th. A pro-Trump supporter, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul proposed voting on whether the Senate should proceed with the trial, calling it an "unconstitutional hoax." Senator Paul argued that the Senate could not prosecute a private citizen, which Mr. Trump is now after his term ended last Wednesday when Democrat Joe Biden was inaugurated as the country's 46th President. In fact, the Senate has conducted trials for private citizens in the past. Even before the vote, many Senate Republicans appeared to be relinquishing support for finding Mr. Trump guilty of inciting the January 6 uprising on the Capitol. Hundreds of Mr. Trump supporters attacked the Capitol in an attempt to prevent the certification of the November election result won by Democrat Joe Biden. The 100 senators, 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans, took the oath of office Tuesday as lawyers in the trial against Mr. Trump, although the opening of the trial has been postponed until February 9. Republican lawmakers are in control of Mr. Trump, even though the former president's four-year term in the White House ended Jan. 20 with the inauguration of Democrat Joe Biden. Joe Biden, who has served 36 years as a senator and eight years as vice president in the Obama administration, told CNN on Monday that he supported the trial but did not think enough Republicans would vote against it. Trump to plead guilty. The House of Representatives formally filed charges against Mr. Trump for "inciting the insurgency" in the Senate on Monday night. Two weeks ago, the House of Representatives voted 232 in favor and 197 against to file charges against Mr. Trump. Ten Republican lawmakers joined all Democrats in the House of Representatives in voting to indict former President Trump.