Trump news: President rages against Pelosi after she orders Congress to draw up articles of impeachment

President Trump cancelled a press conference during the Nato summit: AP
President Trump cancelled a press conference during the Nato summit: AP

House speaker Nancy Pelosi has ordered the House to draw up articles of impeachment against Donald Trump over the Ukraine scandal.

“The facts are uncontested. The president abused power for his personal benefit at the expense of national security by withholding military aid and crucial Oval Office meeting in exchange for an announcement of an investigation into his political rival,” she said at a short press conference on Capitol Hill.

Her announcement followed Wednesday’s combative seven-hour House Judiciary Committee hearing at which three academic legal experts agreed that Mr Trump’s apparent attempt to extort a quid pro quo from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met the standard for impeachment in a fiery session defined by Republican obstruction and bickering.

Later, Ms Pelosi snapped at a reporter during her weekly press conference, when asked by him if she hates the president.

Citing her Catholic religion, Ms Pelosi said she does not hate anybody, and told the reporter not to test her on the issue.

Another Democrat in completely different circumstances also had a moment in which he snapped, when Joe Biden called an Iowa voter a "damn liar" over a question about his son Hunter and Ukraine.

Please allow a moment for our live blog to load