Summary

  • Donald Trump becomes the third US president in history to be impeached

  • The Democratic-led House voted in favour of two articles of impeachment - abuse of power and obstruction of Congress

  • He was accused of trying to extract political favours from Ukraine by withholding military aid

  • Addressing supporters at a rally in Michigan, Mr Trump said Democrats will be punished at the 2020 election

  • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it was "tragic" his "reckless actions" made this necessary. "He gave us no choice."

  • The next stage is a Senate trial in January, where he will probably be acquitted - as were predecessors Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson

  1. Historic day concludespublished at 03:07 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

    Donald Trump has now been formally impeached by the House of Representatives for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

    Next stop, a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate, where Trump is widely expected to be acquitted by members of his own party.

    Top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi has yet to name the case managers who will act as prosecutors during the trial.

    On Thursday, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will speak on the floor of the Senate. He will be the one who sets the rules of how the trial will go and which witnesses will be permitted to testify.

    That's where we end our live coverage, but you can catch up on all of Wednesday's drama in our main news story here:

    Trump impeached

    And there's more analysis here:

    Trump impeachment: What you need to know about the Senate trial

    Trump impeachment - your questions answered

  2. Watch Trump react to being impeachedpublished at 02:59 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

    Media caption,

    Trump reacts to news he's been impeached

  3. Washington Post front page marks historic votepublished at 02:58 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

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  4. Online front pages mark 'history in the house'published at 02:51 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

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  5. In case you missed itpublished at 02:49 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

    Here's Nancy Pelosi hushing Democrats who began cheering when Trump was impeached.

    She has referred to this as a "solemn" day, and said it gives no Democrat joy to impeach the US president.

    Media caption,

    Trump impeached by US House of Representatives

  6. More front pages react to impeachmentpublished at 02:45 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

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  7. Pelosi not ready to appoint impeachment managerspublished at 02:31 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

    Nancy Pelosi has said that she will wait to see the Senate trial rules before appointing Democratic impeachment managers - in effect prosecutors.

    "It's difficult to see who the managers would be until we see what the arena will be like that we're participating in," she told reporters after the vote.

    She charged that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is "in cahoots with the lawyers of the accused".

    Reports say Pelosi is delaying so as to push for what Democrats hope is a fair trial in the Senate, and to ensure that McConnell allows witnesses that Democrats want called to testify.

  8. Tomorrow's US front pages start to come inpublished at 02:19 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

    Here's the first, from the New York Times.

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  9. In pictures: Trump speaks at rally as vote heldpublished at 02:19 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

    Donald Trump in MichiganImage source, Getty Images
    President Donald TrumpImage source, Getty Images
    President Donald TrumpImage source, Getty Images
    President Donald TrumpImage source, Gett
    Donald TrumpImage source, Getty Images
    Donald TrumpImage source, Getty Images
  10. It's 'impeachment-lite' says Trumppublished at 02:14 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

    Donald TrumpImage source, Getty Images

    The president insists he's having a great time on stage despite the news of his impeachment.

    "I'm the first person to ever get impeached and there's no crime," he tells the Michigan crowd. "It's impeachment-lite.

    "With Richard Nixon, I just see it as a very dark era. I don't know about you, but I'm having a great time. It's crazy."

    He says Democrats have "cheapened the impeachment process".

    "This is a sacred position," he says of the presidency. "Anybody that becomes president, they could have a phone call and they get impeached."

    It's "exactly what the Founding Fathers didn't want", he adds.

    In November, America will "turn up to vote Pelosi the hell out of office" he adds to cheers.

  11. Democrats hold press conferencepublished at 02:12 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

    Republicans have canceled their scheduled post-vote press conference, as President Trump speaks in Michigan.

    Democrats are holding a press conference right now, where Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is thanking Democratic leaders for their investigation into Trump.

    "I could not be prouder or more impressed by the moral courage of the House Democrats," she says.

    She says today's vote was held to "defend our democracy and the republic and the aspirations of our children".

    Judicairy Comittee Chairman Jerry Nadler says Trump's actions were undoubtedly impeachable.

    "Today we took action for the serious and undisputed risk he poses to our free and fair elections and the separation of powers" that this country's government is based on.

    "The president must not be allowed to become a dictator," he adds.

  12. Republican votes 'hell no'published at 02:07 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

    Sharing a picture of his voting slip, congressman John Ratcliffe, who represents Texas's 4th district, reveals he voted "hell no".

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  13. First comments from Trumppublished at 02:04 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

    Appearing to look at the voting figures, Trump cut off what he was saying at his rally in Michigan and said: "Oh I think we have a vote coming. So we got every single Republican voted for us. Whoah.

    "Wow. Wow. Almost 200. So - we had 198, 229. We didn't lose one Republican vote and three Democrats voted for us.

    "The Republican party has never been so affronted but they've never been more united than they are right now."

  14. Democrat abstainspublished at 02:02 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

    Tulsi GabbardImage source, Getty Images

    Democratic Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard broke ranks and abstained.

    The military veteran is currently running for president. Rather than voting yay or nay, she instead voted "present".

    In a press release she says: "I am standing in the centre... I could not in good conscience vote against impeachment because I believe President Trump is guilty of wrongdoing.

    "I also could not in good conscience vote for impeachment because removal of a sitting president must not be the culmination of a partisan process, fueled by tribal animosities that have so gravely divided our country."

    Her decision drew some confusion from her Democratic colleagues.

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  15. What just happened?published at 01:57 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

    Trump is the third president in US history to be impeached by Congress.

    In a vote that went along party lines, the House voted in favour of two articles of impeachment: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

    Abuse of power was passed with 230 in favour, 197 against.

    Around a quarter of an hour later, obstruction of Congress was approved - 229 in favour, 198 against.

    Before casting her vote, top Democrat Nancy Pelosi called this a "solemn" moment and called for lawmakers to vote according to their conscience.

    But as applause broke out, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned Democrats not be celebratory.

    The votes came after nearly 12 hours of rancorous debate and weeks of deliberation in committees.

    Trump delayed his rally in Michigan by nearly an hour, and appears to have timed his appearance to coincide with the historic vote.

    trump graphicImage source, bbc
  16. Second impeachment count reaches vote thresholdpublished at 01:43 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019
    Breaking

    We've now had the results for the second count of impeachment, for obstruction of Congress. The total number of votes needed to reach the threshold has been met - 216 - as with the first count, for abuse of power.

    As before, we need to hear the chair bang the gavel before the result is confirmed.

  17. President Donald Trump is impeachedpublished at 01:35 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019
    Breaking

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives bangs her gavel, confirming that Donald Trump is now the third US president in history to be impeached.

    The vote on the first of two articles - abuse of power - went 230 in favour, 197 against.

    Mr Trump now faces trial in the Senate.

    Trump
  18. Trump speech disrupted by protesterspublished at 01:27 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

    "There is a slob, there is a real slob... She will get hell when she comes back home with mom," Trump said, as one protester gave him the middle finger.

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  19. Number of votes needed to impeach Trump is reachedpublished at 01:24 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019
    Breaking

    The total number of votes needed to impeach President Trump for the first of two counts is reached in US House of Representatives.

    The final confirmation of impeachment will be given once the chair bangs the gavel.

    This first count is for abuse of power. The second count, for obstruction of Congress, will be voted on shortly.

  20. BBC reporters on historic momentpublished at 01:18 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2019

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