Washington | Republicans are pressing ahead with an accelerated timetable to acquit Donald Trump at his Senate trial as early as this week, even as fresh evidence emerges that he misused the powers of his office.

After opening their defence of the president in a shortened two-hour session on Saturday (Sunday AEDT), Republicans were expected on Monday to deploy two of the biggest names in American law - constitutional expert Alan Dershowitz and Kenneth Starr, who headed the Bill Clinton inquiry two decades ago.