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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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


Pelosi holds ceremonial engrossment after House impeaches Trump

Not an hour after the House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump for a second time, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House impeachment managers walked across Statuary Hall to the Rayburn Room for a ceremonial engrossment ceremony for the article of impeachment.

The engrossment ceremony is a procedural step that takes the article one step closer to the Senate trial.

"Today in a bipartisan way, the House demonstrated that no one is above the law -- not even the president of the United States -- that Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to our country," Pelosi said, preparing to sign off on the engrossment. "And now, I sadly, with a heart broken over what this means to our country of a president who would incite insurrection will sign the address of the article of impeachment."

Pelosi was joined for the ceremony by the nine House impeachment managers -- one of the rarest assignments for a House member.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a former constitutional law professor who co-authored the article and whose family was present at the Capitol during last Wednesday's riot a day after burying Raskin's son, is serving as the lead impeachment manager. The other managers are Democratic Reps. Diana DeGette of Colorado, David Cicilline or Rhode Island, Joaquin Castro of Texas, Eric Swalwell of California, Ted Lieu of California, Joe Neguse of Colorado and Madeleine Dean, of Pennsylvania. and Del. Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands.

While Pelosi has declined to yet say publicly when the House will send the article over to the Senate, a source involved in the Democratic leadership deliberations told ABC News earlier Wednesday that Pelosi planned to send the article to the Senate next week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released a statement after the House voted to impeach Trump indicating the Senate trial should take place after Trump leaves office -- a message to Pelosi to wait to send the article.