McConnell indicates Senate trial should take place after Trump leaves office
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated that the Senate impeachment trial should take place after Trump leaves office.
The Senate impeachment process will begin "at our first regular meeting following receipt of the article from the House," McConnell wrote in a new statement, saying he believes it would be best for the country to have an orderly transfer of power completed before a trial begins.
The Senate is currently scheduled to return to Washington on Tuesday, making that the earliest day for any Senate action related to the trial to occur -- but McConnell's message to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democrats is for them not to send the articles until after Biden is sworn in.
McConnell has no control over when a trial begins -- that is determined by the articles sent to the Senate.
While House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has so far declined to say publicly when the House will send the article over to the Senate, a source involved in the Democratic leadership deliberations told ABC News earlier Wednesday Pelosi planned to send the article to the Senate next week.
"Even if the Senate process were to begin this week and move promptly, no final verdict would be reached until after President Trump had left office. This is not a decision I am making; it is a fact. The President-elect himself stated last week that his inauguration on January 20 is the ‘quickest’ path for any change in the occupant of the presidency," McConnell wrote.
"In light of this reality, I believe it will best serve our nation if Congress and the executive branch spend the next seven days completely focused on facilitating a safe inauguration and an orderly transfer of power to the incoming Biden Administration."
McConnell confirmed on the record earlier Wednesday that he is considering voting to convict Trump on inciting an insurrection.
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin
