US President Donald Trump has been impeached by the House of Representatives on two charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The Senate is setting up a trial in January that will decide whether he remains in office. The date for the trial will be announced by the end of the week.
“It is tragic that the president’s reckless actions, make impeachment necessary,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said as she “solemnly and sadly” opened the House debate on impeachment.“He gave us no choice,” Pelosi said.
The House voted 230-197 to charge Trump with abuse of power and 229-198 to charge him with obstruction of Congress.
The first charge of abuse of power came from Trump’s alleged attempt to pressure Ukraine to announce investigations into his Democratic political rival, Joe Biden.
Trump on a July 25 telephone call with newly elected Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky urged him to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter, who was had served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.
The second charge of obstruction of Congress comes from the president allegedly refusing to co-operate with the impeachment inquiry, withholding documentary evidence and barring his key aides from giving evidence.
The House voted and nearly all Democrats voted for the charges and every Republican against.
Trump becomes the third US president in history to be impeached besides Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton.
As voting took place in the House, Mr Trump was addressing a campaign rally in Battle Creek, Michigan.
