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Democrats Announce Formal Charges Of Impeachment Against Donald Trump

Democrats Announce Formal Charges Of Impeachment Against Donald Trump

The US President has since denied both charges

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

The Democrats have formally announced impeachment charges against US President Donald Trump.

The Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jerrold Nadler confirmed two articles of impeachment made against the President, those of abuse of power and the obstruction of Congress.

The shocking news was announced at a press conference today, during which the charges were unveiled in full.

President Trump was described as a 'danger' to US democracy, with Democrats stating that he must be removed from office.

Mr Nadler said: "We must take this solemn step today. The integrity of our next election is at risk, from a president that has already sought foreign interference... and has consistently put himself above country."

Following the news, President Trump hit back at Democrats, claiming he had done 'nothing wrong'.

He wrote on Twitter: "To impeach a President who has proven through results, including producing perhaps the strongest economy in our country's history, to have one of the most successful presidencies ever, and most importantly, who has done nothing wrong, is sheer political madness!"

The Democrats claim that Trump held talks with the Ukrainian government, using $400m (£309m) of military aid already allocated by Congress, and the promise of a White House meeting with Ukraine's new leader, to exert pressure on them.

It's argued that Trump had wanted Ukraine to carry out an investigation into his main Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, and his son Hunter, who had joined the board of a Ukrainian company during his father's time as US vice-president.

President Trump has been charged with two articles of impeachment.
PA

The second demand, allegedly made by Trump, was that Ukraine support the theory that it was them and not Russia who had interfered in the 2016 US presidential election.

It's a theory that has since been largely quashed, with the US intelligence agencies unanimous in believing that Moscow was behind the hacking of Democratic Party emails.

What's next?

If sufficient evidence is found by the Judiciary Committee for the impeachment of Trump, the House of Representatives will vote on the charges. If they receive a simple majority - 51 percent - it will then go to the Senate for a trial.

Only two presidents have been impeached in the history of the United States - Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson - neither of whom were convicted.

Richard Nixon faced the possibility of impeachment over the Watergate scandal but resigned before he could be impeached formally.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: US News, politics