The trial of Mister Donald Trump in the Senate, it starts this Tuesday. In all solemnity, on Capitol Hill in Washington, in a scenography worthy of American films or series, with the entry of the seven democratic representatives (deputies) erected as prosecutors, the president of the Supreme Court, the presence of one hundred senators, the sergeants of the guard in full dress… Another new aspect, the fact that this impeachment targets an outgoing president, candidate for his re-election, which was not the case of Bill Clinton in 1998. For facts, moreover, less serious: lying about an extramarital relationship, while Trump is accused of having used American foreign policy for personal gain.
In this trial without court, will ultimately miss only the president. Donald Trump has chosen to be represented by his lawyers. "Among the latter, there are real stars, like Kenneth Starr, the former prosecutor against Bill Clinton, or the ex-lawyer of the footballer OJ Simpson, underlines François Durpaire, author of" American Civilization "(PUF) and member of the BONHEURS laboratory at Cergy-Paris-University. With this team revealed at the last moment, Trump chooses the strategy of a big show trial. He wants to take control of Nancy Pelosi ( Editor's note: President of the House of Representatives of the United States ) and the Democrats. But also make this trial a megaphone for its campaign at the White House, "says the historian, specialist in the United States.
"The real court is that of opinion"
"The head-on battle between Democrats and Republicans will start immediately on the question of additional witnesses," explains historian Nicole Bacharan, whose latest work is entitled "The World According to Trump" (Tallandier). The Democratic camp wants in particular to audition John Bolton, the former National Security adviser. At the time of the alleged events, this former close associate of Trump was opposed to the President's manipulation, which consisted in suspending military aid to Ukraine at the opening by this country of an investigation targeting Joe Biden ( Editor's note: his potential Democratic rival in the presidential election ). His testimony would therefore be crucial. The White House and the President of the Senate are viscerally hostile to it. ”
This first pass of arms alone could last several days. The Democrats, a minority in the Senate - unlike the House of Representatives - could receive on this precise point from witnesses the support of four or five elected Republicans. No fight in sight, however, for the authorization or not of the television cameras in the enclosure. Each of the camps, aware of playing the presidential campaign of 2020 in this trial, is in favor of it: "The real court is that of opinion", continues Bacharan.
Against the advice of the Republicans, Trump chose the attack
Democrat side, we know that the process, Republican majority requires, will not lead to impeachment, the removal of the president. "But they want to take advantage of this forum to demonstrate the corruption of Donald Trump. Beyond that, they intend to take away the possibility of any future president to indulge in perpetual abuse of power, as Trump does, ”decrypts Nicole Bacharan. Their strategic objective: to mark the spirits of the side of the many undecided Americans, who choose their candidate only at the last moment and "make" the election in the end.
On the Republican side, as we have seen, Trump took the opposite view of his party which would have preferred to play low profile during the whole trial. By choosing the attack, he intends to "pose as a victim, denounce a vindictiveness of the Democrats, show - as at his election in 2016 - that the establishment is against him ... and that with this impeachment procedure to release the president , they want to deprive the American people of a free election ", analyzes François Durpaire. This spectacular trial can last from two or three weeks to ... several months according to experts, the Americans will be free to form their opinion.
