Trump news: House panel votes to advance impeachment articles as president announces US-China trade deal

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Nadler reacts to House Judiciary impeachment votes

The House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to support articles of impeachment against Donald Trump on Friday after an abrupt end to Thursday’s 12-hour marathon debate over their merits, a session characterised by Republican stalling and heated protestations.

Following the votes, the president announced a trade deal between the US and China will begin lifting tariffs on Chinese goods by 15 December — a deal he previously said wasn't likely until after the next election.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell meanwhile gave an interview to Sean Hannity on Fox News yesterday evening and pledged “total co-ordination” between GOP senators and the White House should a trial take place in January, raising fresh concerns about impartiality.

President Trump himself has congratulated British prime minister Boris Johnson over his party’s landslide win in the UK general election on a record-breaking day of tweets and his hosting of the Christmas Congressional Ball at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Meanwhile, Democrats on the 2020 campaign trail have rallied behind union workers at Loyola University in California ahead of next week's debate there.

That solidarity was first expressed by Elizabeth Warren, who said she would not cross a picket line for the debate.

Soon after, virtually every candidate who has qualified for the debate.

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Key Points

• House committee approves articles of impeachment, sends to full House for vote
• White House 'looks forward' to Senate impeachment trial
• Mitch McConnell tells Fox he'll be in 'total co-ordination' with White House
• Trump tells UK to 'celebrate' Boris Johnson’s landslide victory
• President breaks own record with 123 tweets in one day despite claiming to be 'busy'

[13 December 2019 15:59 · Alex Woodward]

Here's a look at todays vote tally, thanks to The Independent's Andrew Feinberg.

Worth noting that the absent voter is California Democrat Ted Lieu, who is recovering from a heart procedure on Tuesday.

He's been a vocal critic of the Trump administration and was a likely vote in support of articles of impeachment. He's scheduled to be back in Congress next week.

[13 December 2019 16:26 · Alex Woodward]

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Dmytro Kuleba, among the first of president Zelensky's administration to visit the US, warns about the dangers of propaganda and misinformation campaigns and jokes that he's on the same page as US officials he's met so far this week but "maybe I am talking to the wrong people."

[13 December 2019 16:33 · Alex Woodward]

Oh, and right on time, here's Rudy Giuliani at the White House as members of Congress voted to impeach the president.

Donald Trump's lawyer recently returned from a trip to Ukraine, and the Wall Street Journal reported that he's escalated his push for investigations into the Bidens, undeterred by the impeachment inquiry.

According to the report, when Mr Giuliani returned from Ukraine on Saturday, the president called him as his plane was still taxiing down the runway, he told the newspaper.

"'What did you get?'" he said the president had asked.

Mr Giuliani's reply: "More than you can imagine."

[13 December 2019 16:45 · Alex Woodward]

The House Rules Committee will take up articles of impeachment on Tuesday.

There, the members will establish the process for how the impeachment will play out on the House floor.

Chairman Jim McGovern: The president's "actions leave no choice but to but to proceed with these articles of impeachment. Inaction would set a dangerous precedent, not just for this president, but for every future president."

[13 December 2019 17:00 · Alex Woodward]

Mitch McConnell is preparing "full coordination" with the White House as the Senate prepares an impeachment trial following next week's House vote.

He told Fox last night: "The case is so darn weak coming over from the House. We all know how it's going to end. There is no chance the president is going to be removed from office."

He added: "My hope is there won't be a single Republican who votes for either of these articles of impeachment. And Sean, it wouldn't surprise me if we got one or two Democrats."

He also told Fox last night that his career highlight is blocking judge appointments to ensure a conservative majority on the Supreme Court and conservative seats on dozens other federal courts.

[13 December 2019 17:15 · Alex Woodward]

Trump: 'I'll do whatever I want' in Senate impeachment trial

During a meeting with Paraguay President Mario Abdo Benitez, Donald Trump accused Democrats of “trivializing impeachment” after the Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to send two articles of impeachment to the House.

Asked whether he prefers a longer or shorter impeachment trial, he said: "I'll do whatever I want. I'll do long or short. ... It doesn't matter."

He called members of the media "bad people" and "sick people" and demanded to hear from a whistle-blower.

"Everybody disappeared", he said. "It's an embarrassment to the country."

[13 December 2019 18:16 · Alex Woodward]

Here's a clip of the president's rambling reaction to the impeachment vote hours after it happened.

He doesn't have any other events on his schedule today.

[13 December 2019 18:34 · Alex Woodward]

Here's a "no" vote on the House Rules Committee, which will take up rules for the impeachment vote on Tuesday.

Texas Republican Michael Burgess says "it is not a good look for those who are endorsing this product" by voting to support the two articles of impeachment.

He said in a statement: "I believe through these actions they have embarrassed the House of Representatives by pursuing this purely partisan path. As we heard from Professor Jonathan Turley, ‘lowering impeachment standards to fit a paucity of evidence and an abundance of anger would create a dangerous precedent.’"

[13 December 2019 19:11 · Alex Woodward]

Rudy Giuliani was at the White House today then tweeted this:

He's also tripling down and insisting there's a "deep state" conspiracy to remove the president from office, which he's calling a coup, and insists the impeachment is intended to coverup Obama-era corruption.

[13 December 2019 19:40 · Alex Woodward]

The president and his Republican allies appear to be planning his impeachment trial in the Senate, whose leaders already have decided to end it despite taking an oath of impartiality. 

Mr Trump said he liked House Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's strategy, which would not only include dismissing the case against the president but also acquitting him of all charges.

And he said he liked that South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said he doesn't plan to call any witnesses.

The president said: "Look, there is... we did nothing wrong. So I'll do long, or short. I've heard Mitch, I've heard Lindsey — I think they are very much in agreement on some concept. I'll do whatever they want to do. It doesn't matter."

On Thursday, Mr McConnel said he is in "total coordination" with the White House as the Senate prepares for a trial.

He said: "Everything I do during this, I'm coordinating with the White House counsel. There will be no difference between the president's position and our position as to how to handle this."

In a statement, New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer said: "If articles of impeachment are sent to the Senate, every single senator will take an oath to render ‘impartial justice.’ Making sure the Senate conducts a fair and honest trial that allows all the facts to come out is paramount.”

He added: "If Republicans scheme with Trump and McConnell to block witness testimony they will be guilty of a coverup.”