Dems Announce Articles Of Impeachment; Trump Calls It “Sheer Political Madness”

Nancy Pelosi, Jerry Nadler, and Adam Schiff were among the big name Democrats who gathered to make the announcement together. 

For his part, Adam Schiff argued for moving forward with impeachment with the implication that President Trump cheated back in 2016 with "foreign help."

Nadler accused President Trump of putting himself before the nation in endangering America's national security and democracy through pressuring the Ukraine "to interfere in our 2020 election" - something POTUS called out as "ridiculous" on Twitter:

President Trump wasn't the only one to respond.

Hillary Clinton, whom many including her former strategist Dick Morris and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon predict is going to jump into the race soon, reacted to the articles of impeachment announcement on Twitter, as well:

ABC News has more details on the articles of impeachment and what happens next:

Democrats on Tuesday unveiled two articles ofimpeachment against President Donald Trump, a historic step that could lead to a full House vote as early as next week.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler announced that Democrats were going forward with charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Late Tuesday morning, Democrats released the proposed articles.

Earlier, Nadler said Trump had "violated his oath to the American people."

"Later this week, the Judiciary Committee will meet to consider these articles of impeachment and to make a recommendation to the full House of Representatives," Nadler said.

He was flanked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic committee chairs, including House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff.

"The president's continuing abuse of power has left us no choice," Schiff said, going into details behind the charges. "To do nothing would make ourselves complicit in the president's abuse of his high office, the public trust, and our national security."                            "The evidence of the president's misconduct is overwhelming and uncontested," Schiff said with regard to the president's actions on Ukraine. "And how could it not be when the president's own words on July 25th—'I would like you to do us a favor, though'—lays so bare his intentions."

Schiff said Trump had solicited a foreign nation to publicly announce that investigations into his political opponent, and by doing so, had undermined U.S. national security.

"When the president got caught he committed his second impeachable act," Schiff said, referring to obstruction of Congress.

"If allowed to stand it would decimate Congress' ability to conduct oversight of this president or any in the future, leaving this president and those who follow free to be as corrupt ... as they would like,"he said.

"Why not let him cheat in one more election. Why not let him cheat just one more time?" Schiff asked rhetorically, responding to critics who say Democrats are moving too fast.

He said Democrats had to move quickly in order to protect the 2020 election and could not wait for court challenges to congressional subpoenas to play out.

Pelosi began the announcement by calling it a "solemn" occasion similar to when all members of Congress take an oath to protect the Constitution.

As if to reinforce that, she and her fellow Democrats walked out of the room silently without taking questions.

Fox News also had the following to say:

House Democrats on Tuesday introduced two articles of impeachment against President Trump alleging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress regarding his interactions with Ukraine, touching off a rapid-fire sequence that could result in a momentous floor vote in a matter of days.

“The framers of the Constitution prescribed a clear remedy for presidents who so violate their oath of office,” said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y. "No one, not even the president, is above the law.”

His office later posted text of the articles, which declare Trump's actions warrant impeachment, trial and removal from office.

The White House swiftly hit back, accusing Democrats of using the Ukraine issue as an excuse for "this partisan, gratuitous, and pathetic attempt to overthrow the Trump Administration and the results of the 2016 election."

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., also countered at a GOP press conference that Trump's actions are "absolutely" not impeachable.

"Other countries admire us because we believe in the rule of law, we believe in due process. But not in Nancy Pelosi's House when she became speaker," he said.

The key Democratic committee leaders, along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., outlined their impeachment plans in a brief and pointed statement to the media early Tuesday morning, and left without taking questions.

Nadler previewed two articles "charging the president with high crimes and misdemeanors." He said the first is dedicated to "abuse of power," alleging the president has "exercised the powers of his office for his personal benefit while ignoring or injuring the public interest." Nadler said Trump put himself before country while endangering national security and America's democracy.

"Trump has engaged in unprecedented, categorical, and indiscriminate defiance of the impeachment inquiry," Nadler added, as he announced the second article focused on obstruction of Congress.

The article text posted by his office reflected these statements, while alleging in stark terms that Trump "has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to 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 Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who has led much of the inquiry, called impeachment "an extraordinary remedy."

"He has given us no choice," Schiff said of Trump. "To do nothing would make ourselves complicit in the president's abuse of his high office."

Trump fired back minutes later, blasting the entire inquiry as a "WITCH HUNT!" -- the same term he used for the Russia investigation.

"Nadler just said that I 'pressured Ukraine to interfere in our 2020 Election.' Ridiculous, and he knows that is not true. Both the President & Foreign Minister of Ukraine said, many times, that there 'WAS NO PRESSURE.' Nadler and the Dems know this, but refuse to acknowledge!" Trump tweeted.

White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham slammed the announcement as part of Democrats' bid to "overturn the votes" of 63 million Americans who supported Trump in 2016.

"Today, in a baseless and partisan attempt to undermine a sitting President, Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats announced the pre-determined outcome of their sham impeachment – something they have been seeking since before President Trump was inaugurated," she said in a statement.