WASHINGTON, February 7. /TASS/. Former US President Donald Trump is not going to be convicted in the Senate impeachment trial, but after it a fight over the direction of the Republican Party will kick off, Distinguished Professor of Government and Founder of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University James Thurber told TASS.

"I see no way for him to be convicted in the Senate impeachment trial," the professor said. In reply to a question how this trial could affect the Republican’s political future, namely his possible plans to run for president again, the expert said the answer was "more complex." "He [Trump] and his supporters are splitting the Republican Party. Without Twitter and use of other social media platforms he has been silenced. There will be a fight over the direction of the Republican Party. The outcome of that battle is unknown as of today. The polarization and populism will continue for sometime."

The US House of Representatives controlled by Democrats approved on January 13 a text of resolution on impeaching Trump, charging him with "incitement of insurrection." The resolution said Trump had "demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain office." Democrats initiated Trump's first impeachment trial in 2019 but that attempt failed. The US Senate will resume the second impeachment trial against Trump on February 9.

The new impeachment drive was initiated over Trump’s remarks on January 6 when his supporters stormed the Capitol Building in Washington DC to stop lawmakers from officially certifying the results of the November presidential election. This was a last-ditch attempt to prevent Democrat Joe Biden from becoming the new president.

The situation is unprecedented since for the first time in the country’s history a president (who has already left the post) is subject to the impeachment procedure twice.