Pete Marovich/Getty Images Former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate began Tuesday. Whether the trial matters at all is an open question. Impeachment requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate, and it seems clear that there aren’t currently enough votes to cross that threshold. In late January, 45 Republicans voted for Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) motion to dismiss the entire idea of trying a former president as unconstitutional — far more than the 34 votes necessary to block conviction. “If you voted that it was unconstitutional, then how in the world would you ever hope to convict somebody for this?” Paul asked afterward, rhetorically — and he had a point.