Trump: Pelosi announces moving forward with articles of impeachment

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced that she asked the chairmen of the relevant committees to move forward with drafting articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. 

The Democratic politician has added that "Our democracy is what is at stake... the president leaves us no choice but to act, because he is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit.”

Markets have shrugged off the move, which was broadly expected.

The move has come after the committees concluded their investigation around Trump's alleged extortion of the Ukranian president, holding back vital US military aid and releasing it only on the condition that Ukraine begins an investigation against rival Joe Biden. 

Opinion polls show that more Americans support impeaching Trump than oppose it, but the vast majority of Republicans oppose the move. If the House votes to impeach the president, the Republican-held Senate will hold a trial, where 67 members are needed to oust Trump. Democrats hold only 20 Senate seats and almost no Republican is likely to vote against the president. There is still no timetable for the next moves.