US President Donald Trump has said he wants an immediate trial in the Senate, after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would not hand off impeachment to the Senate until she learned how Republicans would manage the proceeding.
One surprise came when Christianity Today, a prominent evangelical publication, called Mr Trump's conduct "profoundly immoral" and said he should be removed from office.Democrats want Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell to allow top Trump aides like Mick Mulvaney, the White House acting chief of staff, and John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, to testify, according to a senior Democratic aide.
Democrats say that as part of his pressure campaign, Mr Trump held back $391 million in security aid for Ukraine and a coveted White House meeting for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiyas leverage to coerce Kiev into interfering in the 2020 election by smearing Mr Biden. Fewer than half of Americans want Trump removed from office,according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday.