Impeachment article has 200 cosponsors: US rep.

The draft, citing "incitement of insurrection," could be introduced Monday.

President Donald Trump is slated to hand over control of the White House to President-elect Joe Biden in 11 days.


0

White House says impeaching Trump will 'further divide our great country'

White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere has issued a statement in response to movement on Capitol Hill to impeach Trump for a second time.

“As President Trump said yesterday, this is a time for healing and unity as one Nation. A politically motivated impeachment against a President, who has done a great job, with 12 days remaining in his term will only serve to further divide our great country," the statement read.

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson


Murkowski wants Trump to resign, questions her place in the GOP

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said in an interview with the Anchorage Daily News that she wants Trump to resign and questioned whether she would remain a part of the Republican party.

"I want him to resign. I want him out. He has caused enough damage," Murkowski said.

She attributed the violence at the Capitol Wednesday to Trump and said that if the Republican Party cannot separate itself from the president she questions her place in it.

"If the Republican Party has become nothing more than the party of Trump, I sincerely question whether this is the party for me," she said.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin


Biden says it's a 'good thing' Trump is not going to his inauguration

After directing questions on impeachment to Congress, Biden said he thinks the "quickest way" for Trump to be removed from office is with his own inauguration on Jan. 20 and it's a "good thing" Trump isn't showing up.

"One of the few things he and I have ever agreed on. It's a good thing, him not showing up," Biden said. "Because he has clearly demonstrated -- he’s exceeded even my worst notions about him. He's been an embarrassment to the country, embarrassed us around the world -- not worthy, not worthy to hold that office."

"If we were six months out, we should be moving everything to get him out of office -- impeaching him again, invoke -- trying to invoke the 25th amendment, whatever it took to get him out of office, but I am focused now on us taking control," he added.

Biden said he hasn't spoken with Vice President Mike Pence but that he'd be "honored" to have him at the inauguration.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle and John Verhovek


House Dems expected to introduce article of impeachment against Trump

House Democrats are expected to charge Trump with inciting insurrection in an impeachment article that will be released on Monday, according to the latest draft of the charge obtained by ABC News.

A single article of impeachment, "incitement of insurrection," charges Trump with "willfully inciting violence against the government of the United States" with comments at the rally outside the White House that "encouraged—and foreseeably resulted in—imminent lawless action at the. Capitol," according to a draft.

It also makes note of Trump's threatening call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger.

At least 153 Democrats planned to co-sponsor the measure, as of Friday afternoon.

-ABC News' Mariam Khan and Benjamin Siegel


340 DC National Guardsmen to help DC police around Electoral College demonstrations

At District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser's request, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy has activated about 340 unarmed D.C. National Guardsmen to assist local law enforcement with the demonstrations taking place on Wednesday pegged to the Electoral College certification.

"We think it's helpful to have our D.C. Guardsmen, who are our Guard, that I have requested from the Secretary of the Army to assist MPD [Metropolitan Police Department] with traffic management," Bowser said Monday. "It absolutely frees up more officers."

The D.C. Guard is unique in that any call-ups have to be made by the Army secretary and not the jurisdiction’s top elected official -- as is the case with state governors. Additionally, more focus has been given to the call-ups since the controversial presence of D.C. Guardsmen and the use of D.C. Guard helicopters during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations last summer.

"They will be deployed to assist us with crowd management, as well as traffic control in our nation's capital that will allow for the police officers to focus on anyone who's intent on instigating agitating or participating in violence in our city," said D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee. He also labeled any possibility of violence surrounding the protests as "unacceptable" and repeated that carrying firearms is not allowed under D.C. law.

A senior defense official said Bowser put in the request for Guardsmen on Dec. 31 and that it was approved Monday morning. Beginning Tuesday through Thursday, the 340 personnel will help man 30 traffic control checkpoints around the northern side of the downtown area close to the National Mall.

"No one's going to be armed or body armor or anything like that," said the official. "What they need is traffic control."

-ABC News' Luis Martinez and Quinn Owen