Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House of Representatives will file impeachment charges against US President Donald Trump for alleged abuse of power.
“Our democracy is what is at stake, the president leaves us no choice but to act,” the top elected Democrat said.
Mr Trump said Democrats have “gone crazy” and urged them to move quickly if they were going to impeach him.
Democrats say Mr Trump corruptly made military aid to Ukraine conditional on it investigating his rival Joe Biden.
What did Pelosi say?
The California congresswoman told Thursday morning’s news conference: “The facts are uncontested. The president abused his power for his own political benefit at the expense of our national security, by withholding military aid and a crucial Oval Office meeting in exchange for an announcement for an investigation into his political rival.”
She added: “Sadly, but with confidence and humility, with allegiance to our founders and a heart full of love for America, today I am asking our chairmen to proceed with articles of impeachment.”
An impeachment vote might take place in the House of Representatives before the end of the year, and a trial in the Senate perhaps as early as January 2020.
Q: “Do you hate the president?”@SpeakerPelosi: “I don’t hate anybody…As a Catholic, I resent your using the word hate in a sentence that addresses me. I don’t hate anyone…So, don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that.”
Full video: https://t.co/l9peY9RTzl pic.twitter.com/zpqUaCcVrS
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 5, 2019
In a later news conference, Mrs Pelosi upbraided a reporter who asked whether she hated the president.
“I don’t hate anybody,” she said, invoking her Catholic faith after striding back to the podium.
“I still pray for the president all the time. So don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that!”
What did the White House say?
Mr Trump tweeted shortly before Mrs Pelosi’s remarks: “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.”
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said immediately after Mrs Pelosi’s remarks that Democrats “should be ashamed”.
She added: “We look forward to a fair trial in the Senate.”
On Wednesday, three constitutional law experts testified to the House Judiciary Committee that Mr Trump’s actions to obtain help from a foreign nation amounted to an impeachable offence.
A fourth professor said Mr Trump’s actions were wrong, but not impeachable.
The Judiciary Committee is hearing from witnesses and is tasked with writing the articles of impeachment that the full House will later vote on.
Among formal impeachment charges expected to be considered by the judiciary committee are abuse of power, obstruction of justice and contempt of Congress.
