Democrats unveil impeachment articles
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrats in the US House of Representatives announced formal impeachment charges against President Donald Trump on Tuesday, a historic move that set the stage for a divisive trial in the Republican-led Senate ahead of the 2020 elections.
The two formal charges, or articles of impeachment, accuse Trump of “betraying” the country by abusing power in an effort to pressure Ukraine to probe a political rival and then obstructing Congress’ investigation into the scandal.
The Democratic-controlled House is almost certain to vote to impeach the president. It could take up the matter next week. A trial would then be held in the Senate, likely in January. No Republican in either the House or Senate has come out in favor of Trump’s removal from office.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler told reporters that Democrats had to take action because Trump had endangered the US Constitution, undermined the integrity of the 2020 election and jeopardized national security.
“No one, not even the president, is above the law,” Nadler said at a news conference to announce the formal impeachment charges. He was joined by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders involved in the impeachment probe.
“Our elections are a cornerstone of democracy... The integrity of our next election is at risk from a president who has already sought foreign interference in the 2016 and 2020 elections,” Nadler said.
Trump has denied wrongdoing and calls the inquiry a hoax.
The White House, which has refused to participate in the hearings in the House because it says the process is unfair, accused Democrats of engaging in a “baseless and partisan” attempt to undo the results of the 2016 election.
“The President will address these false charges in the Senate and expects to be fully exonerated, because he did nothing wrong,” White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said in a statement. In an interview with Fox News, Grisham, asked whether Trump would testify, said she did not know.
After the articles of impeachment were announced, Trump tweeted “WITCH HUNT!” Earlier, he attacked the impeachment effort, tweeting that to impeach a president when the country has such a strong economy “and most importantly, who has done NOTHING wrong, is sheer Political Madness!”
He is the fourth US president to face impeachment.
Democratic president Bill Clinton was impeached in 1998 for lying about a sexual relationship he had with a White House intern, but he was acquitted in the Senate. Republican president Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 before he was impeached over his involvement in the Watergate scandal. Democratic president Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868 but not convicted in the Senate.