House will draft Donald Trump impeachment articles, Nancy Pelosi says

The usually unflappable Speaker cracks as the House moves to draft articles of impeachment | WATCH

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, at her press conference.

Democrat house Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called for historic articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, saying there was “no choice but to act’’ against a president who had violated the Constitution and abused his powers.

The move paves the way for the impeachment of Mr Trump in the house within weeks and a trial in the Senate in January.

“Our democracy is what is at stake,” Ms Pelosi said. “The president leaves us no choice but to act, because he is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit.

“The president has engaged in abuse of power undermining our national security and jeopardizing the integrity of our elections.’’

READ MORE: Democrats’ impeachment report says Donald Trump abused his office | Ukraine plot plays into Russia’s hands | Nixon at least had the integrity to walk: Pelosi

The normally unflappable Ms Pelosi lost her cool at her press conference when a reporter asked her, as she was walking away, whether she hated Mr Trump.

“I don’t hate anyone,’’ Ms Pelosi shot back, wagging her finger at the reporter James Rosen of Sinclair. Ms Pelosi then walked back to the lectern and said “As a Catholic, I resent your using the word hate in a sentence that addresses me. I don’t hate anyone. I was raised in a way that is a heart full of love and always pray for the president. And I still pray for the president. And I pray for the president all the time, so don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that,” she said before walking off.

Shortly afterwards Mr Trump tweeted that “Nancy Pelosi just had a nervous fit’’.

“She says she ‘prays for the President.’ I don’t believe her, not even close.’

Nancy Pelosi just had a nervous fit. She hates that we will soon have 182 great new judges and sooo much more. Stock Market and employment records. She says she “prays for the President.” I don’t believe her, not even close. Help the homeless in your district Nancy. USMCA?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 5, 2019

Ms Pelosi described his actions as a breach of the vision of the country’s founders.

“Sadly, but with confidence and humility, with allegiance to our Founders and our heart full of love for America, today I’m asking our chairman to proceed with articles of impeachment.”

Although Democrats were widely expected to pursue impeachment, it is the first time they have publicly confirmed they will seek to make Mr Trump only the fourth president to face impeachment proceedings.

Mr Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing, immediately hit back saying the move would lead to impeachment being used routinely against any president in the future. He urged house Democrats to impeach him quickly so Republicans could call their own witnesses in a Senate trial.

“The Do Nothing, Radical Left Democrats have just announced that they are going to seek to Impeach me over NOTHING.” Mr Trump tweeted.

“This will mean that the beyond important and seldom used act of Impeachment will be used routinely to attack future Presidents. That’s not what our Founders had in mind.’’

....This will mean that the beyond important and seldom used act of Impeachment will be used routinely to attack future Presidents. That is not what our Founders had in mind. The good thing is that the Republicans have NEVER been more united. We will win!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 5, 2019

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Democrats “should be ashamed’’ for pursuing impeachment.

“@realDonaldTrump has done nothing but lead our country - resulting in a booming economy, more jobs & a stronger military, to name just a few of his major accomplishments,” Ms Grisham tweeted.

.@SpeakerPelosi & the Democrats should be ashamed. @realDonaldTrump has done nothing but lead our country - resulting in a booming economy, more jobs & a stronger military, to name just a few of his major accomplishments. 🇺🇸 We look forward to a fair trial in the Senate.

— Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) December 5, 2019

Ms Pelosi did not lay out a timetable for the impeachment process and she did not say what alleged crimes Mr Trump would be accused of in the articles of impeachment.

But her call for the house Judiciary Committee to draw up articles of impeachment has paved the way for the Democrat-controlled house to vote to impeach Mr Trump before Christmas.

This would set up a courtroom-style trial in the Senate in January presided over by Chief Justice John Roberts although Democrats do not have the two-thirds majority required in the Senate to remove the president from office.

Mr Trump said Republicans, who hold the majority in the Senate, would force senior Democrats including Joe Biden and his son Hunter to testify at a Senate trial.

“I say, if you are going to impeach me, do it now, fast, so we can have a fair trial in the Senate and so that our Country can get back to business,” the president said.

“We will have (house Intelligence Committee chairman Adam) Schiff, the Bidens, Pelosi and many more testify, and we will reveal, for the first time, how corrupt our system really is. I was elected to ‘Clean the Swamp,’ and that’s what I am doing!”

.....trial in the Senate, and so that our Country can get back to business. We will have Schiff, the Bidens, Pelosi and many more testify, and will reveal, for the first time, how corrupt our system really is. I was elected to “Clean the Swamp,” and that’s what I am doing!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 5, 2019

Democrats are seeking to impeach Mr Trump for using US military aid as leverage to try to pressure Ukraine into investigating the activities in Ukraine of former Vice President Mr Biden and his son Hunter.

Hunter Biden was paid a large salary as a board member for Ukraine energy company Burisma at the same time as Mr Biden was pressuring that country over corruption.

Mr Trump asked the Ukraine president in a phone call on June 25 to investigate the Bidens, a request which led to a whistleblower complaint which in turn triggered the Democrat-led impeachment inquiry.

Next Tuesday (AEST) house impeachment investigators will present to the Judiciary Committee the evidence against Mr Trump contained in the 300-page report released this week by the Intelligence Committee.

Democrats are debating whether to broaden the articles of impeachment beyond the Ukraine controversy to include Mr Trump’s actions in relation to alleged obstruction of justice with special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

This week the Judiciary Committee heard dueling legal assessments on impeachment with three Democrat-picked Constitutional professors stating that Mr Trump’s actions meet the criteria for impeachment. But a Republican-picked law professor warned that the evidence was too thin and the process too rushed justify impeaching the president.

Only three presidents have faced impeachment charges and only two have been impeached. Andrew Johnson was impeached by the house in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998 although both were later acquitted by the Senate. Richard Nixon resigned in 1973 knowing that he faced almost certain impeachment for his Watergate cover-up.

(Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky news Australia)