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As it happenedended

Trump news : President attacks Congress members as they prepare for impeachment vote, after mocking teen activist Greta Thunberg

House of Representatives prepares to vote to remove Trump from office next week

Pastor Robert Jeffress praises Donald Trump at White House Hanukkah event

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Donald Trump is set to face impeachment in the House of Representatives, becoming the fourth president in US history to face removal from office on charges of misconduct after the House Judiciary Committee'prepares to send articles of impeachment to the full Congress.

The full House is expected to vote on impeachment next week.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she doesn't plan to whip votes to support impeachment, saying that House leadership won't pressure Democrats in vulnerable districts or moderate Democrats fearing political fallout from supporting efforts to remove the president from office.

She said: "We are not whipping this legislation, nor do we ever whip something like this. People have to come to their own conclusions. They've seen the facts as presented ... They'll make their own decision. I don't say anything to them."

Meanwhile, the president had an explosive day on Twitter, including an attack on teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg after she was named TIME magazine’s Person of the Year ahead of him as the committee prepared to resume its debate over articles of impeachment threatening to end his presidency.

“So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!” the president wrote on Twitter.

The president's campaign also shared a photo of the TIME cover with Mr Trump's face superimposed over the teenage climate activist.

Mr Trump also faced criticism for hosting notoriously antisemitic Texan pastor Robert Jeffress at his White House Hanukkah party, a man who once claimed Jews would go to hell and that Mr Trump’s impeachment would cause a “Civil War-like fracture” in American society.

Follow along developments as they happened.

Committee Chair Jerry Nadler, arguing for the obstruction charges, says that impeachment is "the only remedy" against a "tyrannical power" that doesn't recognize Congress's power of impeachment.

Otherwise, he says, it allows the president to deny the impeachment power of Congress, which has sole power of impeachment, according to the Constitution.

A court hearing "might be an appropriate remedy" if a privilege has been asserted. But "there's nothing for a court to review" and has directed the executive branch not to testify, Mr Nadler says.

Alex Woodward12 December 2019 22:42

This amendment — which would strike the entire obstruction charge — is essentially giving Republicans an opportunity to relitigate the charge.

Meanwhile:

Alex Woodward12 December 2019 23:22

We're wrapping up live coverage for today.

Stay tuned with The Independent for more updates.

Alex Woodward12 December 2019 23:49

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