The Guardian.

Can our country and our democracy ever be the same if we don't hold accountable the

person responsible for inciting the violent attack against our country, our capital and

our democracy, and all of those who serve us so faithfully and honorably?

Is this America?

Welcome to Politics Weekly Extra, I'm Jonathan Friedland.

It is finally here, the impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump.

It's the second one he's had and it's only the fourth in American history.

The buildup has been quite something and the exception to this one is that the man in

the dock is not there and he's not even in the Oval Office because he is now an ex-president

of course.

That hasn't stopped Democrats rolling out their argument acting as the prosecution and

they've kicked off each time with a video making the case in vivid form, including one

where they warned that what they were about to show was not suitable for children.

It is an ex-rated impeachment.

There is much else that's different about this Senate trial and that's one reason why

I wanted to talk to today's guest.

She is the professor of political science at George Washington University and a senior

fellow at the Brookings Institution.

She's an expert on Congress which is of course the arena for the battle now underway.

She is Professor Sarah Binder.

Sarah Binder, when people hear this, some of the arguments will have been joined, people

...