Trump trial may put brake on Biden’s 100-day project
Incoming president fears impeachment will obstruct urgent coronavirus relief bill and raft of reforms
JOE BIDEN’S ambitious plans for his first 100 days face being upended by Donald Trump’s Senate trial.
Mr Biden is said to have been lukewarm about impeaching Mr Trump over the Capitol riot on Jan 6 because he wanted to hit the ground running on his legislative priorities after his inauguration on Wednesday.
With Senate time eaten up by a trial, the new president could be delayed getting his cabinet nominees confirmed and pushing for the passage of his key immediate priority, a $1.9 trillion (£1.4trillion) coronavirus relief bill.
In addition, he wants to “on day one” introduce legislation to establish a pathway to citizenship for America’s estimated 11 million illegal migrants. He also wants to expand governmentfunded health insurance, and pursue a $1.7 trillion (£1.25 trillion) climate change plan. Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat Speaker of the House, along with many other Democrats in Congress, wants to prioritise an attempt to hold Mr Trump accountable for the events of Jan 6. The president-elect has not tried to dissuade them, and instead suggesting a sharing of Senate time.
A “bifurcation” process would see the Senate spending half of each day on Mr Trump’s trial, and half on Cabinet nominees and the pandemic relief plan.
While incoming presidents usually have some key positions filled, Mr Biden currently has no cabinet nominees confirmed.
Senate hearings for his proposed defence, state, homeland security, and treasury secretaries are for Jan 19, the day before the inauguration.
But a hearing for his proposed director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, has already been postponed.
There are fears in Mr Biden’s team that an extended period of flux will adversely impact his ability to achieve his pledges, including administering 100million vaccines in 100 days.
Some Democrats want to delay Mr Trump’s Senate trial. But others are pushing for a quick trial, arguing that the allegation against Mr Trump – incitement of insurrection – is straight
forward and should not take too long to consider.
Ron Klain, who will be Mr Biden’s chief of staff, said: “Hopefully the trial will not be a lengthy trial.”
Previous impeachment trials lasted 83 days, 37 days, and 21 days.
There is a prospect Republicans might be keen on a lengthy trial as it would frustrate Mr Biden’s agenda.
Democratic senator Chris Murphy said he would support delaying the trial or conducting it in sections.
He said: “I think that [cabinet secretary] confirmation and Covid relief legislation is more important right now than expediting the trial of a president who has already left office.”
Mr Biden is already coming under pressure to pardon Mr Trump after the trial, perhaps to draw a line under the division that his presidency has sown.
James Comey, the FBI director fired by Mr Trump, said pursuing prosecutions against him would not be “in the best interest of the entire nation”.
Meanwhile, Mr Biden has appointed the lead US negotiator of the Iran nuclear accord and a battle-tested hawk on Russia to top posts in the state department, signalling a return to normal after the chaotic Trump presidency.
Wendy Sherman, who brokered the Iran accord under Barack Obama and negotiated a nuclear deal with North Korea under Bill Clinton, was named as deputy secretary of state.
Victoria Nuland, a former career diplomat best known for her support for Ukrainian protesters who ousted a Russian-aligned president, was nominated under secretary for political affairs – the State Department’s third-ranking post in charge of day-to-day US diplomacy.
Mr Biden said the two women “have secured some of the most defining national security and diplomatic achievements in recent memory”.