Trumpism set for broader trial inside GOP
The question of conviction is hardly a question at all. That makes it only a piece of a broader and more complex puzzle for the Republican Party as it seeks a new path in a post-Trump era that is far from rid of Trumpism.
The result of former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial this week seems certain, with perhaps only Trump's ability to restrain himself standing between him and a second acquittal in the Senate.
Still, the words and actions of the former president and some of his supporters up to and even after Jan. 6 have forced a GOP reckoning that has become louder and more contentious over the past month. It's convinced a growing minority of Republican elected officials that the party needs to be done with Trump once and for all.
As for Republican voters more broadly, Trump's hold on the party is strong but not total. The ABC News/Ipsos poll released Sunday found 15% of Republicans supporting Trump's conviction in the Senate -- not a huge number, but a substantial share given that Trump's approval rating inside his own party was well into the 90s for much of his presidency.
While Trump himself will not testify this week, his lawyers have made clear that he does not intend to convey regret over his actions -- or even to concede the falsity of his claims to have won the election.
Senate Republicans appear likely to keep general unity on the question of whether an impeachment trial for a former president is constitutionally appropriate. But even ending the trial won't come close to ending the Trump era for the Republican Party.
-ABC News' Rick Klein