<p>Democrats unveiled two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump on Tuesday in a momentous step asserting that the US president abused his office and deserves to be removed.</p>.<p>If the charges -- abuse of power and obstruction of Congress -- are approved by the full House of Representatives in a vote expected next week, it would make Trump the third US leader ever impeached and placed on trial in the Senate.</p>.<p>An angry Trump dismissed the charges as "ridiculous" but Democrats insisted presidents are not untouchable.</p>.<p>"We must be clear: No one, not even the president, is above the law," said House Judiciary Committee Jerry Nadler.</p>.<p>"When he betrays that (public) trust and puts himself before country, he endangers the constitution, he endangers our democracy and he endangers our national security."</p>.<p>Trump is alleged to have wielded the power of the presidency for personal and political gain by pressuring Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 US election.</p>.<p>The Democrats submitted their articles of impeachment in a formal House resolution, which is expected to be voted out of the Judiciary Committee this week before heading to a full House vote.</p>.<p>In forceful language, the articles laid out the Democrats' case that Trump committed "high crimes and misdemeanours," warning that he would "remain a threat to the Constitution" if allowed to remain in office.</p>.<p>Trump, who has long assailed the Democrats for pursuing impeachment, maintained his fighting posture by blasting the "ridiculous" process and renewing his familiar claim that he is the victim of a witch hunt.</p>.<p>The White House meanwhile called the impeachment effort a "pathetic attempt" to overturn the 2016 election result.</p>.<p>"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.</p>.<p>Trump's accusers say he conditioned vital military aid and a much-sought White House meeting on Kiev announcing it would investigate former vice president Joe Biden, the Democratic frontrunner to challenge Trump in 2020.</p>.<p>Trump also pressed his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to probe a debunked Kremlin conspiracy theory that it was Kiev and not Moscow, that interfered in the 2016 US election.</p>.<p>The charges also focus on Trump's efforts to block Congress from fully investigating his actions -- which Democrats see as a violation of its constitutional right to conduct oversight of the executive branch.</p>.<p>Trump has refused to cooperate with any aspect of the inquiry and ordered his entire administration to do the same.</p>.<p>As a result, key figures in the Ukraine saga, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, have not testified before lawmakers.</p>.<p>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, speaking at a forum in Washington, described the move as sad but necessary.</p>.<p>"If we allow one president -- any president, no matter who she or he may be -- to go down this path we are saying goodbye to the republic and hello to a president king," she said.</p>.<p>The Democratic impeachment move marks a solemn and deeply serious moment for the nation, which has been sharply divided over whether to advance removal proceedings against the sitting president.</p>.<p>House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff oversaw weeks of public hearings in which witnesses including Trump administration officials and US diplomats testified about the pressure on Ukraine.</p>.<p>"The evidence of the president's misconduct is overwhelming and uncontested," Schiff said, adding that Trump's misconduct "goes to the heart" of whether Americans can conduct a free, fair 2020 election.</p>.<p>Boosting the already extraordinary Washington drama, Democrats and Republicans came together shortly after the impeachment announcement to agree on a modified North American trade pact that includes improved labour standards, clearing the path towards final ratification.</p>.<p>The long-sought deal could provide Democrats in swing districts with cover as they return home for the holidays able to claim a bipartisan victory on economic policy, potentially defusing resentment over impeachment.</p>.<p>Congressional Republicans have largely remained loyal to the president and were quick to describe the impeachment articles as sour grapes by Democrats for losing in 2016.</p>.<p>"Democrats still can't get over the fact that Trump won the election and they lost," top House Republican Kevin McCarthy told reporters.</p>.<p>Should Trump be impeached, as expected, he faces a weeks-long January trial in the US Senate, where Republicans hold a majority.</p>.<p>Removal from office is unlikely, given that conviction requires a two-thirds vote in the 100-member chamber, and no Republicans have yet signalled they would side with Democrats against the president.</p>.<p>mlm/ft</p>
<p>Democrats unveiled two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump on Tuesday in a momentous step asserting that the US president abused his office and deserves to be removed.</p>.<p>If the charges -- abuse of power and obstruction of Congress -- are approved by the full House of Representatives in a vote expected next week, it would make Trump the third US leader ever impeached and placed on trial in the Senate.</p>.<p>An angry Trump dismissed the charges as "ridiculous" but Democrats insisted presidents are not untouchable.</p>.<p>"We must be clear: No one, not even the president, is above the law," said House Judiciary Committee Jerry Nadler.</p>.<p>"When he betrays that (public) trust and puts himself before country, he endangers the constitution, he endangers our democracy and he endangers our national security."</p>.<p>Trump is alleged to have wielded the power of the presidency for personal and political gain by pressuring Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 US election.</p>.<p>The Democrats submitted their articles of impeachment in a formal House resolution, which is expected to be voted out of the Judiciary Committee this week before heading to a full House vote.</p>.<p>In forceful language, the articles laid out the Democrats' case that Trump committed "high crimes and misdemeanours," warning that he would "remain a threat to the Constitution" if allowed to remain in office.</p>.<p>Trump, who has long assailed the Democrats for pursuing impeachment, maintained his fighting posture by blasting the "ridiculous" process and renewing his familiar claim that he is the victim of a witch hunt.</p>.<p>The White House meanwhile called the impeachment effort a "pathetic attempt" to overturn the 2016 election result.</p>.<p>"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.</p>.<p>Trump's accusers say he conditioned vital military aid and a much-sought White House meeting on Kiev announcing it would investigate former vice president Joe Biden, the Democratic frontrunner to challenge Trump in 2020.</p>.<p>Trump also pressed his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to probe a debunked Kremlin conspiracy theory that it was Kiev and not Moscow, that interfered in the 2016 US election.</p>.<p>The charges also focus on Trump's efforts to block Congress from fully investigating his actions -- which Democrats see as a violation of its constitutional right to conduct oversight of the executive branch.</p>.<p>Trump has refused to cooperate with any aspect of the inquiry and ordered his entire administration to do the same.</p>.<p>As a result, key figures in the Ukraine saga, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, have not testified before lawmakers.</p>.<p>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, speaking at a forum in Washington, described the move as sad but necessary.</p>.<p>"If we allow one president -- any president, no matter who she or he may be -- to go down this path we are saying goodbye to the republic and hello to a president king," she said.</p>.<p>The Democratic impeachment move marks a solemn and deeply serious moment for the nation, which has been sharply divided over whether to advance removal proceedings against the sitting president.</p>.<p>House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff oversaw weeks of public hearings in which witnesses including Trump administration officials and US diplomats testified about the pressure on Ukraine.</p>.<p>"The evidence of the president's misconduct is overwhelming and uncontested," Schiff said, adding that Trump's misconduct "goes to the heart" of whether Americans can conduct a free, fair 2020 election.</p>.<p>Boosting the already extraordinary Washington drama, Democrats and Republicans came together shortly after the impeachment announcement to agree on a modified North American trade pact that includes improved labour standards, clearing the path towards final ratification.</p>.<p>The long-sought deal could provide Democrats in swing districts with cover as they return home for the holidays able to claim a bipartisan victory on economic policy, potentially defusing resentment over impeachment.</p>.<p>Congressional Republicans have largely remained loyal to the president and were quick to describe the impeachment articles as sour grapes by Democrats for losing in 2016.</p>.<p>"Democrats still can't get over the fact that Trump won the election and they lost," top House Republican Kevin McCarthy told reporters.</p>.<p>Should Trump be impeached, as expected, he faces a weeks-long January trial in the US Senate, where Republicans hold a majority.</p>.<p>Removal from office is unlikely, given that conviction requires a two-thirds vote in the 100-member chamber, and no Republicans have yet signalled they would side with Democrats against the president.</p>.<p>mlm/ft</p>