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House Democrats carried the formal articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate late Wednesday, AP reported.
The move sets the stage for only the third trial to remove a president in American history. In the meantime, Trump decried the impeachment process as a “hoax,” even as fresh details emerged about his efforts in Ukraine.
As the articles move from the Democratic-run House to the Republican-majority Senate, the president’s team is mounting a defense aiming for swift acquittal.
“Today we will make history,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday as she signed the documents, using multiple pens to hand out and mark the moment. “This president will be held accountable.”
Starting noon Thursday, the Senate plays host to an impeachment court, which will include Chief Justice John Roberts presiding over the trial and administering the oath to senators who will serve as jurors and swear to deliver “impartial justice.”
Trump, who is seeking a second term in the upcoming 2020 election, is the first U.S. president to ever be impeached in his first term.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pledged to have the Senate “rise above the petty factionalism” and “factional fervor and serve the long-term, best interests of our nation.” He called it “a difficult time for our country.”
