Washington: US President Donald Trump called on Republicans to rally behind him Thursday as Democrats in Congress prepared to move the impeachment investigation against him into higher gear with public hearings.
The US leader is facing an increasing likelihood of becoming the third president in history to be impeached and placed on trial for removal in the Senate over an alleged extortion scheme to obtain Ukraine’s help to get him reelected in 2020.
The president re-tweeted a rallying cry from ‘Fox News’ host Laura Ingraham that called on Republicans to ‘stand together and defend the leader of their party against these smears’.
“This farce should never be allowed to roll into a winter showtrial. Indeed, allowing a long, drawn out trial in the Senate would merely validate and perpetuate the fraud begun in the House,” read the tweet.
Donald Trump is accused of withholding military aid to compel Ukraine to mount an embarrassing corruption probe against his Democratic election rival Joe Biden – using US foreign policy in an illegal shakedown for his personal political benefit.
Trump’s call-to-arms came just hours before Democrats were to ram through the House legislation that would move the inquiry into the public eye – giving Americans the chance to hear on live television the evidence against him.
The next phase will see open evidentiary hearings in the House Intelligence Committee, which has led the inquiry so far, presenting witnesses and documentary evidence and allowing Republicans to challenge the evidence.
The case would then go to the House Judiciary Committee, where Trump and his lawyers will be able to challenge the evidence and submit their own.
If the case against Trump is deemed strong enough, the committee will then draw up formal charges against the president – articles of impeachment – to be voted on by the entire House.
That process could be completed within the final months of this year. The Democrat-controlled House is expected to pass the articles, which would then see Trump go on trial for removal in the Senate, where Republicans have a majority.
“We are not here in some partisan exercise. We are here because the facts compel us to be here,” said Jim McGovern, Chairman of the House Rules Committee which drew up the impeachment process legislation. “There is serious evidence that President Trump may have violated the Constitution. This is about protecting our national security and safeguarding our elections,” he added on the house floor.
AFP