How to watch Donald Trump’s impeachment trial

Find out where to stream the proceedings live

Donald Trump's historic second Senate impeachment trial begins this week, just over a month after the US Capitol riot for which Democrats have accused the former president of "incitement to insurrection".

On 9 February, Senators are poised to officially begin proceedings at 1pm EST (6pm GMT) in the same building in which pro-Trump supporters stormed only weeks earlier, leading to the deaths of five people.

There is no set timeline for the length of an impeachment trial and a number of factors can influence timings before a verdict can be reached.

But where can you watch the proceedings unfold?

Read more: Follow live Trump impeachment updates

How to watch the impeachment trial

Click here to watch the trial unfold live on Independent TV.

Major networks including ABC News, CBS News, CNN, C-SPAN, Fox News Channel, NBC, and PBS, will all be providing special television coverage of the trial.

You can also view the trial for free using streams such as those on C-SPAN, YouTube, CNN, PBS News Hour, ABC News, NBC News.

CNN's special coverage of the trial will also be available for free online without a cable log-in on its website and viewing apps, as the network has dropped its paywall for the impeachment trial.

When does it start?

The Senate trial starts on 9 February and is Senators are set to officially begin proceedings at 1pm GMT (6pm EST).

Impeachment managers and the president's counsel will initially debate for up to four hours whether it is constitutional to impeach a president who is no longer in office.

The Senate will vote on whether it has the jurisdiction to try a former president and if this passes at a simple majority, each side will present their case beginning at 12pm EST (5pm GMT) on Wednesday.

How long will the trial last?

There is no set timeline for the length of an impeachment trial, and numerous factors – such as whether or not witnesses will be allowed to testify – can affect the time the proceedings take. 

The former president's first impeachment trial lasted about three weeks.

How likely is the Senate to convict the former president?

A conviction appears increasingly unlikely, with many Republican senators speaking out against the House Democrat-led impeachment efforts in recent days.

In order to secure a conviction, 17 Senate Republicans would have to vote against Mr Trump, and given recent impressions by Republican senators, this currently seems an improbable outcome.