The US Democrats want to launch an official preliminary Congressional investigation into possible impeachment of President Donald Trump. Representative House opposition leader Nancy Pelosi will make a statement this Tuesday evening (local time), several US media have reported, including the Washington Post and the New York Times.
The background is the affair of Trump's phone conversation with the new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj. Trump is suspected of having tied the release of aid to Ukraine for the delivery of compromising information about the son of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Shealah Craighead / Official White House
Donald Trump: Reasonable phone calls to Kiev?
Hunter Biden worked for a Ukrainian gas company. There have been cases of corruption in the company, but Hunter Biden has never been personally blamed.
Trump: "Biggest witch hunt ever"
Trump vehemently rejected the allegations made against him over the phone call. They were part of the "biggest and most destructive witch-hunt ever," he wrote on Twitter. The phone call with Selenskyj had been "completely appropriate". The President announced that he would release a full and unedited transcript of the conversation this Wednesday.
The Democrats, with their majority in the House of Representatives, are in power to initiate impeachment proceedings against Trump. If the announced investigation concludes that the allegations against Trump are true, the House of Representatives could decide to formally accuse the President - this would be impeachment.
However, the decision on a possible dismissal of Trump would then lie with the other Congress Chamber, the Senate. There are Trumps Republicans in the majority. Also, a two-thirds majority is needed in the Senate to remove a president from office.
