US President Donald Trump is expected to be impeached on Wednesday by the Democratic-led House of Representatives for obstruction of Congress and abuse of power related to his dealings with Ukraine.
Wednesday’s historic votes on impeachment comes after a two-month inquiry by House Democrats, who accuse the president of pressuring Ukraine to open an investigation into the president’s political rival and former vice president, Joe Biden, who is also a frontrunner in the 2020 Democratic presidential race. They also charge that the president obstructed their investigation by refusing to comply with subpoenas and directing members of his administration to do the same.
If the articles of impeachment are approved, as expected, Trump will become only the third president in United States history to be impeached.
Wednesday’s votes set the stage for a trial in the Republican-led Senate in January. No president has ever been removed from office via the impeachment process set out in the Constitution, and Republican senators have given little indication of changing that.
As the House prepares for the landmark impeachment vote, here are all the latest updates as of Wednesday, December 18:
“We are the champions”
Queen’s “We are the Champions” hit song was heard before a Michigan rally when Vice President Mike Pence told supporters that the impeachment vote was a “disgrace.”
Pence was speaking to more than 200 people at a “Workers for Trump” event. He said Trump will again win the important swing state in the 2020 election, in part because of impeachment.
Pence is in Michigan for a day-long bus tour before joining Trump at a rally on Wednesday evening.
Pro-impeachment rallies
Dozens of activists braved the cold on Wednesday to rally in support of Trump’s impeachment on the US capitol in Washington, DC. Multiple “Nobody Is Above the Law” events have been held across the country.
Trump fires off tweet
As the heated debate got underway, Trump fired off a tweet in all caps denouncing his rivals, “THIS IS AN ASSAULT ON AMERICA, AND AN ASSAULT ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY,” he tweeted. (Aljazeera)