Giuliani says he won’t be on Trump impeachment defense team
Trump was impeached by the House for a second time last week.
President Donald Trump is slated to hand over control of the White House to President-elect Joe Biden in three days.
The House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump last Wednesday on an article for "incitement of insurrection" for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol -- making him the only president to be impeached twice.
Top headlines:
Overview: Trump plans counterprogramming amid backlash, Biden to receive second dose of COVID-19 vaccine
While House Democrats take action to remove Trump from office after he encouraged supporters to march on Capitol Hill last week.
Trump on Monday plans to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- the nation's highest civilian honor -- to GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, his longtime defender, in a closed event, something not the event not mentioned on his schedule, a White House official said. Later in the week, he's expected to bestow the same honor on New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
Sources told ABC News over the weekend the White House is building out a week of programming to highlight Trump’s record over the dwindling days of his administration, despite amplified calls for Trump to resign or risk facing a second impeachment. Appearing to dismiss those calls, Trump has a trip planned for Tuesday to Texas to showcase the border wall he's pushed hard for, and is expected to host events in the next week to highlight what sources say are the administration's achievements in areas including foreign affairs, business and pandemic response.
The president was angry for much of this past weekend -- mostly about Twitter permanently suspending his account on Friday, according to sources who have spoken directly to Trump. Sources said the president is expected to depart Washington before Biden takes the oath of office on Jan. 20.
While Biden said last week it’s a "good thing" Trump isn’t attending his inauguration, he hasn’t said whether he supports impeaching Trump, deflecting that decision to Congress instead. Biden's said he wants the incoming Congress to focus on his Cabinet nominations and pandemic relief from the onset, but an impeachment trial in the Senate risks preempting the rest of its business.
On Monday, Biden is slated to meet with transition and economic advisors and will publicly receive the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from Wilmington, Delaware, in the afternoon.
-ABC News Chief White House Correspondent, John Santucci and Katherine Faulders
Shaken Washington mulls Trump’s fate and more: Analysis
It might be that the very divisions Trump has stoked save him from being removed from office early.
It may also be that forces beyond his control now contribute to his ultimate and final undoing.
In the flurry of recriminations from Wednesday’s assault on the Capitol, the question has shifted from whether Trump would leave office to when and exactly how it all goes down. The president will almost certainly be impeached again by the House early this week, as official Washington realizes anew how bad last week was, and how bad things might get over the next nine days and beyond.
At stake are final judgments for history on Trump, including the possibility of disqualification from running for office again. The decisions ahead for lawmakers matter greatly for Trump and the future of the GOP, and also for internal Democratic politics and the agenda Biden hopes to enact.
The strongest argument Republicans are now offering against impeachment doesn’t try to defend Trump’s actions or even argue that he’s fit to stay in office through Jan. 20.
Instead, it’s an argument that the cause of national unity is best-served by waiting Trump out -- and hoping that no further political violence erupts in Washington, state capitals and even lawmakers’ homes.
Trump has barely cared about his legacy in any traditional sense, and this week’s White House attempts to remind people of his accomplishments aren’t likely to change things.
Last week left indelible marks on his permanent record. Actions in the coming days could not only influence how he’s remembered, but also how the country comes through a turbulent and troublesome period.
-ABC News' Political Director Rick Klein
Debate on the 'rule' kicks off ahead of article debate
Democrats and Republicans are expected to debate for one hour -- equally divided between Democrats and Republicans -- before a procedural vote ahead of the chamber beginning debate on the impeachment article itself.
Democrat Rep. Jim McGovern, the chairman of the House Rules Committee, setting up that preliminary vote on the terms of the debate, called the Capitol a "crime scene" and the rioters "traitors" and "domestic terrorists" in an assault instigated by Trump, emphasizing, "We wouldn't be here if it weren't for the president of the United States."
McGovern described the day as "a ceremonial role for the Congress -- one that sends a message to the world that democracy persists -- but at a rally a mile and-a-half down Pennsylvania Avenue, Donald Trump was stoking the anger of a violent mob," he began. "He said Vice President Pence has to come through and told the mob to walk down to the Capitol."
"The signal was unmistakable. These thugs should stage a coup so Donald Trump can hang on to power, the people's will be damned. This beacon of democracy became the site of a vicious attack. Rioters chanted, 'Hang Mike Pence,' as a noose and gallows were built. Capitol Police officers were beaten and sprayed with pepper spray. Attackers hunted down lawmakers to hold them hostage or worse," McGovern continued.
"I saw evil, Mr. Speaker. Our country came under attack, not from a foreign nation but from within," he added. He also slammed Republicans for preaching unity from members who voted to overturn a free and fair election.
Republican Rep. Tom Cole -- one of the lawmakers who object to Electoral College results after the violent seige -- called Jan. 6 the "darkest day" of his long career in Washington, but said Democrats, instead of promoting unity, are looking to "divide us further" by pursuing Trump's impeachment.
Cole did not directly defend Trump's actions or rhetoric but argued in Congress, one week before Biden's inauguration, sets up a "flawed process."