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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Impeachment debate concluded, vote underway
The House has concluded debate on the second impeachment of Trump for "incitement of insurrection." The vote is now underway and is expected to take 40 minutes to one hour.
House Democrats are expected to vote to impeach the president. Seven Republicans have announced that they also plan to vote to impeach.
The House needs a simple majority to impeach the president.
GOP, Dems deliver closing arguments ahead of vote with scathing rebuke of Trump from Hoyer
Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La. -- the No. 2 Republican in the House -- was the last to speak for the Republican Party, said he opposed the "rushed" impeachment, and emphasized that the Senate will only be able to take up the trial once Trump is out of office.
"I've seen the dark evil of political violence firsthand. And it needs to stop. But all of us need to be unequivocal in calling it out every single time we see it, not just when it comes from the other side of the aisle," he said.
Invoking President Abraham Lincoln, he closed by calling on Americans to unify and "seek higher ground."
House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., quickly responded to his remarks, saying, "We can have all this, and we can have accountability too," before handing off to Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md.
Hoyer, in a scathing rebuke of the president, repeated the words of Rep. Liz Cheney and called on his Republicans colleagues to rise to the moment and join her to "reject the vices we abhore."
"It is the first and only physical presence other than the 9/11 attack on this nation -- which came from abroad with a plane aimed at our Capitol dome. This attack was not from abroad. It was as Liz Cheney said, summoned, assembled, and inflamed by the president of the United States of America," he said.
"Last Wednesday, on Jan. 6, the nation and the world watched it shatter to pieces. There could be no mistaking any longer the kind of man sitting in the Oval Office or his intentions and capabilities. The curtain has been pulled back. The office to which he was elected could not temper or reform him," Hoyer said.
"Reject deceit. Reject fear mongering. Reject sedition, tyranny and insurrection," Hoyer said. "Reject one man over fidelity to one's country."
Hoyer noted that soon the House Reading Clerk will call the roll for voting, and added, "Make no mistake, this will be no ordinary roll call."
"These votes will be inscribed on the roll of history -- a record of courage -- and of our commitment to country and Constitution, of our commitment to the rule of law and renewal of that which we inherited and hope to pass on, unbroken, unshattered," he said. "Vote for this -- for America, for our constitution, for democracy, for history."
McConnell has 'not made a final decision' on whether he would vote to remove Trump
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sent a note to Republican colleagues Wednesday afternoon, as the House debated the expected impeachment of President Trump, stating that he has not made a final decision on how he would vote in an impeachment trial.
“While the press has been full of speculation, I have not made a final decision on how I will vote and I intend to listen to the legal arguments when they are presented to the Senate," said the note McConnell's team passed along.
The message comes after House GOP leadership said they would not encourage members to vote for or against Democrats' impeachment push, according to House leadership aides, but to “vote their conscience.”
At least six House Republicans -- including No. 3 Rep. Liz Cheney -- have announced they will vote to impeach the president.
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin
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
Trump condemns violence at Capitol riot in new video
Shortly after he was impeached for the second time, Trump released a video condemning the violence at last week's riot at the Capitol, which he called a calamity.
"I want to be very clear -- I unequivocally condemn the violence that we saw last week, violence and vandalism have absolutely no place in our country, and no place in our movement," the president said.
"Making America great again has always been about defending the rule of law, supporting the men and women of law enforcement and upholding our nation's most sacred traditions and values," he added. "Mob violence goes against everything I believe in, and everything our movement stands for."
In the video, which was posted to YouTube and the White House Twitter account, Trump said that he directed federal agencies to use "all necessary resources" to maintain order in Washington ahead of Biden's inauguration.
Without mentioning the social media site by name, Trump also seemed to speak to his Twitter ban, saying "the efforts to censor, cancel and blacklist our fellow citizens are wrong and they are dangerous."
"What is needed now is for us to listen to one another. Not silence on another," he added.
The president did not mention impeachment.