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.


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Trump honors ally Rep. Jim Jordan with Presidential Medal of Freedom in closed ceremony

President Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- the nation's highest civilian honor -- to Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan in a closed-Oval Office ceremony earlier Monday, the White House said. Normally, such affairs are celebrated before news cameras.

The White House readout of the event refers to Jordan's service in the House and in defense of Trump during last year's impeachment trial. It calls him "an inspiration to freedom-loving Americans everywhere" who "has distinguished himself as one of the most consequential members of Congress of his generation.”

Jordan was among the Republican lawmakers who still objected to the Electoral College certification affirming Biden's victory even after Wednesday's insurrection.

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson


Biden says he's 'not afraid' to take oath of office outside US Capitol

In the wake of last week's assault on Capitol Hill, Biden was asked if he is afraid of taking his oath of office on the West Front of the Capitol complex, as is tradition, and he said he's not.

"I am not afraid to take the oath outside," Biden told reporters after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware, on Monday afternoon.

"I think it's critically important that there be a real, serious focus on holding those folks who engaged in sedition and threatened people's lives, defaced public property, caused great damage -- that they be held accountable. And I think that's a view held by the vast majority of Democrats and Republicans in the Congress," Biden added.

Asked then if he's worried that impeachment could potentially delay his efforts to pass additional coronavirus relief legislation, Biden said he's already spoken with members about a way to "bifurcate" Trump's impeachment so he could continue his agenda, adding it's "obvious" the House will move to impeach.

"Can we go half day on dealing with the impeachment, and half a day getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate, as well as moving on the package -- so that's my hope and expectation," Biden said, adding he hasn't gotten an answer on whether that's possible.


DC Mayor Bowser tells Americans to stay home for Biden's inauguration

Amid threats from both the spreading coronavirus pandemic and of violence in the wake of insurrection at the Capitol, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser at a press conference on Monday urged Americans not to attend Biden's presidential inauguration in Washington next week.

Asked if she was scared of what might happen on Jan. 20, Bowser said, "If I'm scared of anything, it's for our democracy. Because we have… factions in our country that are armed and dangerous."

She urged the public to participate in the ceremonies virtually and announced she has asked Trump for a "pre-emergency disaster" declaration similar to the one issued for the first inauguration of former President Barack Obama.

"This is necessary because the inauguration poses several unprecedented challenges that exceed the scope of our traditional planning processes," Bowser said.

Bowser is also asking the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate a federal force deployment plan and extend the inauguration's special event security period, including the cancellation of public gathering permits -- which would require the cooperation of the Interior Department -- through Sunday, Jan. 24. Additionally, Bowser requested daily intelligence briefings from the FBI throughout the security period.

The National Park Service on Monday morning temporarily closed the Washington Monument "in response to credible threats to visitors and park resources" through Jan. 24.

-ABC News' Quinn Owen


House Dems introduce article of impeachment charging Trump with 'incitement of insurrection'

During Monday's brief session, Republicans blocked an effort by Democrats to get unanimous consent to force Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment, and House Democrats introduced one article of impeachment against President Trump for "incitement of insurrection" in the wake of a pro-Trump mob breaching the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday.

The "incitement of insurrection" article of impeachment was introduced by Reps. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., Ted Lieu, D-Calif., and David Cicilline, D-R.I., along with more than 210 Democratic co-sponsors.

The measure says that Trump has "demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security, democracy and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has told Democrats they will move forward with an impeachment vote immediately if Pence and the Cabinet do not invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump from power.

Hoyer told reporters this morning that "there very well could be" an impeachment vote as early as Wednesday.

-ABC News' Mariam Khan


GOP knocks 'rushed' process, calls for unity in wake of Capitol violence

Following several Republicans who aired their grievances with a "rushed" process, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, condemned Trump for pressing Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election but argued he couldn't support the impeachment article as written.

"Let us condemn which must be condemned but do it the right way with deliberation and without disastrous side effects. We must end tearing apart our nation by social media and sound bite," Roy said.

Another Texas Republican, Rep. Jodey Arrington, expressed some discontent at the president's rhetoric but suggested it would set a dangerous precedent to pin the actions of his supporters at the Capitol on the president.

"I'm not saying that the president didn't exercise poor judgment, but to criminalize political speech by blaming lawless acts on the president's rhetoric is wrong and a very dangerous precedent," he said to groans from Democrats. "The criminals who stormed the Capitol that day acted on their own volition. They are responsible. This is an important moment for our nation. We have to come together."

While other Republicans didn't go so far as to directly condemn Trump, they all condemned the violence at the Capitol -- but argued it was time for unity and healing, instead of an impeachment with one week until Biden's inauguration.

Democrats, however, rejected that stance.

"A police officer was killed. And what I hear from the other side is that it's time to heal? He's not even buried yet!" Rep. Donald Norcross, D-N.J., scolded his colleagues.

"If he has four years or four days, we must do the right thing for all Americans because he must be held accountable," he added.

Republicans argued there had been no hearings or witnesses called in the Judiciary Committee, to which Democrats responded that the lawmakers themselves witnessed the violence and immediate action must be taken to avoid further threats.

-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel