Sen. Patrick Leahy Hospitalized Ahead of Donald Trump Impeachment Trial

Sen. Patrick Leahy, who was set to preside over former president Donald Trump’s second [...]

By Kyle Phillippi

Sen. Patrick Leahy, who was set to preside over former president Donald Trump's second impeachment trial, has been hospitalized. News of the Vermont senator going to the hospital came on Tuesday night after he was reportedly not feeling well in his office. Bloomberg News White House reporter Josh Wingrove was the first to share the news, adding that he was examined in the Capitol before being taken the hospital "out of an abundance of caution." Leahy is currently in the hospital and will remain there for further evaluation.

All of this comes after Leahy was revealed on Monday to be the judge overseeing Trump's second impeachment trial. The first impeachment saw Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts presiding over the case. The switch from Roberts to Leahy has to do with the fact that Trump is no longer president -- the first former president to face an impeachment trial — which means a new set of rules apply to him. As such, Leahy takes the responsibility as the President pro tempore of the Senate. Though, the unusual circumstances didn't seem to faze Leahy as he stepped up to take on the trial. "When presiding over an impeachment trial, the president pro tempore takes an additional special oath to do impartial justice according to the Constitution and the laws," Leahy said in a statement per CBS News. "It is an oath that I take extraordinarily seriously." The 80-year-old lifelong Vermont native also added that when he presides over the trial, he "will not waver from my constitutional and sworn obligations to administer the trial with fairness, in accordance with the Constitution and the laws." President Joe Biden backed the impeachment trial as he stated the trial has to happen despite his belief that it likely won't result in a ruling against Trump.

As of Tuesday evening, his status moving forward remains unclear, though it doesn't seem like he will be missing much time if all goes well in the hospital. Sen. Dick Durbin told CNN that Leahy could potentially be back in the chamber on Wednesday. He confirmed that the rush to the hospital was simply for precautionary reasons and not because of any grave danger. His wife, who is a nurse at the hospital, told him they just wanted to watch over him for a little and that things are "going well."

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