President Donald Trump on Monday rejected the Democratic-led House of Representatives' impeachment charges, describing the allegations that he had abused his power and obstructed Congress as affronts to the U.S. Constitution that must be rejected.
"The Senate should speedily reject these deficient articles of impeachment and acquit the president," an executive summary of Trump's pre-trial brief said in the Republican president's first comprehensive defense before his Senate trial begins.
Trump, only the fourth of 45 American presidents to face the possibility of being ousted by impeachment, is charged with abusing the powers of his office by asking Ukraine to investigate a Democratic political rival, Joe Biden, and obstructing a congressional inquiry into his conduct.