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:
Dems push 'accountability' in case for impeaching Trump
House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler in his floor remarks said the rioters who stormed the Capitol will be brought to justice. Amid accusations from some members of Congress that other members may have abetted rioters, he said accomplices on the floor will also be held accountable.
"We will bring the rioters to justice. Their accomplices in this house will be held responsible," Nadler said. "But today we must focus on the gravest threat first: President Trump."
Rep Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who was the lead impeachment manager for Trump's last impeachment proceedings said America has endured a Civil War, world wars, the Great Depression and now "a Trumpist and white nationalist insurrection," but the nation will prevail because of those Americans patriotic enough restore it.
"This is one of those moments," Schiff said. "Enough."
Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., argued that while Republicans are calling for unity and healing, it was the president who refused to recognize Biden's win, leading to a violent transition of power.
"This president's refusal to participate in the peaceful transfer of power and his role in the incitement of last week's violence poses an existential threat. This threat must be extinguished immediately," Clyburn said.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., co-sponsor of the impeachment article, warned of future threats to lawmakers if the president isn't held accountable, stressing, "Every one of us in this room right now could have died."
Republicans accuse Dems of 'cancel culture' for impeaching Trump as he leaves office
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, one of the president's staunchest supporters, began the House debate for Republicans by opposing impeaching Trump and railing against Democrats for what he called their attempt to "cancel the president."
"We should be focused on bringing the nation together. Instead Democrats are going to impeach the president for a second time, one week, one week before he leaves office. Why? Why? Politics and the fact that they want to cancel the president," he said.
"Impeachment round two. It's always been about getting the president, no matter what. It's an obsession. An obsession that's now broadened. It's not just about impeachment anymore. It's about canceling," he added.
Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., told the chamber, "I cannot think of a more petty, vindictive and gratuitous act than to impeach an already defeated president a week before he is to leave office."
"President-elect Biden's promise to heal the nation becomes a hollow mockery in the harsh reality of this unconstitutional act," he said.
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have deflected when asked questions about impeachment, saying the decision is with Congress.
Pelosi 1st to speak as House debates unprecedented 2nd Trump impeachment
After the House Reading Clerk concluded reading the full impeachment resolution against President Trump, the House has proceeded with the session by kicking off two hours of debate on the article on impeachment charging Trump with inciting an insurrection. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was the first to deliver remarks and called Trump “a clear and present danger” to the country.
"The president of the United States incited this insurrection, this armed rebellion, against our common country. He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love," Pelosi said. "Since the presidential election in November, an election the president lost, he has repeatedly lied about the outcome, sowed self-serving doubt about democracy and unconstitutionally sought to influence state officials to repeal reality."
"My fellow members, my fellow Americans, we cannot escape history. Let us embrace our duty, fulfill our oath, and honor the trust of our nation. And we pray that God will continue to bless America," she added, calling on the House to vote to impeach Trump and for the Senate to vote to convict him.
A spokesperson for Pelosi confirmed to ABC News she is wearing same outfit Wednesday that she wore for Trump's last impeachment vote on Dec. 18, 2019.
-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel
House clerk reads article of impeachment charging Trump with inciting an insurrection
House Reading Clerk Susan Cole, donning an American flag mask, recited the article of impeachment before two horus of debate on the resolution kicked off.
Democrats formally introduced an impeachment resolution Monday, charging Trump with "incitement of insurrection" after he told his supporters at a “Save America Rally” to march on the Capitol during Congress’ joint session to count Electoral College votes on Jan. 6.
"In all this, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government. He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States," Cole read aloud from the measure.
The impeachment article also cited Trump's call with the Georgia Republican secretary of state where he urged him to "find" enough votes for Trump to win the state -- along with the Constitution's 14th Amendment, noting that it "prohibits any person who has 'engaged in insurrection or rebellion against' the United States" from holding office.
GOP Rep. Liz Cheney: 'I will vote to impeach the President'
House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney -- the No. 3 Republican in the House and highest-ranking woman in the Republican Party -- has announced she will vote to impeach Trump for inciting an insurrection at the Capitol.
"Much more will become clear in coming days and weeks, but what we know now is enough," she said in a statement. "The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing. None of this would have happened without the President. The President could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not."
"There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution," she said.
Her announcement follows Republican Rep. John Katko of New York becoming the first House Republican to say he will support House Democrats' efforts to remove Trump from office through impeachment.