Will Donald Trump's impeachment trial go ahead? The Senate will decide

It’s 34 days since the battle at the Capitol and today the courtroom battle will begin.

The irony is that courtroom, the Senate floor, was where much of what is being judged was played out.

At noon today senators, many of whom were forced to shelter beneath their seats that day, will be asked to decide whether this historic impeachment hearing against Donald Trump will go ahead.

Will they go with the Democrats' argument that a President must be held to account for his actions whether in office or not?

Or will they go with the argument of the former president’s legal team that it is unconstitutional given he is no longer in office and a consequence of Democrats' “Trump Derangement Syndrome”, as they call it.

The views on either side are impassioned.

Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Senate, argued: “A president cannot simply resign to avoid accountability for an impeachable office nor can they escape judgement by waiting until their final weeks in office to betray our country... The powers assigned to the congress by the constitution cannot be defeated by a president who decides to run away or trashes our democracy on his way out the door.“

Meanwhile, Trump’s lawyers warn “indulging House Democrats hunger for this political theatre is a danger to our republic, democracy and the rights we hold dear.”

Already passions are high, this is going to be a highly partisan affair.

It will take political courage to stand against the party line and so far political courage seems to be in short supply.