Timing of Trump Impeachment Trial in Limbo as Pelosi Holds Out for Assurances In declining to say when she might send the articles of impeachment to the Senate, Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested she might keep them as leverage for negotiations on the rules for a trial.

I know why she is doing this but I question whether this strategy has any chance of being effective given McConnell's history of obstruction.“ 

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WASHINGTON — Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated Wednesday night that the House could indefinitely delay sending the articles of impeachment against President Trump to the Senate, leaving ambiguous the timing of a trial to decide whether to acquit him or convict and remove him from office.

After historic nearly party-line votes to impeach Mr. Trump for two articles, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, Ms. Pelosi told reporters that she would hold the articles back until it was clearer that the upper chamber would give the case a fair hearing. The strategy suggested she was keeping the charges as leverage in a coming negotiation over the terms of a Senate trial.

But it could leave the matter in limbo until early January, delaying the start of a trial for an unknown period of time.

“We will make our decision as to when we are going to send it when we see what they are doing on the Senate side,” Ms. Pelosi said. “So far, we have not seen anything that looks fair to us.”

With Mr. Trump and his allies said to be interested in a speedy trial and acquittal, Ms. Pelosi believes slowing down the proceeding could force Senate Republicans to set procedures the Democrats find more favorable to their case, according to Democratic officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

But it is not at all clear that Ms. Pelosi holds much leverage over Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, who as majority leader has broad power to determine the contours of the trial. An adviser to Mr. McConnell, Josh Holmes, signaled the majority leader was in no rush to try the president for impeachable offenses, writing on Twitter that the maneuver “might be the greatest compliment McConnell has ever received.”