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Sen. Raphael Warnock Says He Will Be An ‘Impartial Juror’ In Trump Impeachment Trial

The freshman senator will help decide what happens to the former president as one of his initial duties in Congress.

Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, who was sworn in last week, is already busy with his first duties as a legislator. One of them will be his involvement with the second impeachment trial of former President Trump.
Warnock told Atlanta station WSB-TV  last week that he will be an “impartial juror” in the trial. Trump has been charged with inciting the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol which resulted in the deaths of five people.
“When the articles of impeachment make their way to the Senate, I will sit as an impartial juror and listen to the evidence,” Warnock said.
Those documents were delivered on Monday evening (Jan. 25), now the Senate and Trump must prepare for the trial, slated to begin Feb. 8.
According to Congressional rules, Senators sit as a “High Court of Impeachment” in which the House of Representatives presents its case, witnesses are heard, evidence is considered and a vote is taken to acquit or convict. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts presides as judge. The Senate was expected to be formally sworn in for the trial on Tuesday (Jan. 26).
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Warnock said although he will be impartial, the siege at the capitol left him unnerved.
“There’s no question that any American sitting and watching what happened in the Capitol just a few days ago has to find that repulsive,” he told WSB-TV.
Earlier in January, Warnock, who is also pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, mentioned the riot in his first sermon since being elected. He condemned the violence and noted that it happened just hours after he and Sen. Jon Ossoff were elected.
“Georgia had elected its first Black senator and its first Jewish senator,” he continued,” he said. “Then, as we were basking in the glory of all that represented, it seemed like we could only have a few hours to celebrate. Just as we were trying to put on our celebration shoes, the ugly side of our story — our great and grand American story — began to emerge as the crude, the angry, the disrespectful, and the violent broke their way into the people’s house.”
RELATED: Rev. Raphael Warnock Gives First Sermon Since Winning U.S. Senate Race, Condemns Violence At Capitol That Marred His Victory

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