Trump news – live: President calls for whistleblower and Bidens to testify in impeachment trial as reports say Iran 'accidentally' shot down Ukraine plane

Donald Trump has moved to soothe the tensions he inflamed with Iran by assassinating Quds commander Qassem Soleimani, saying the regime is “standing down” after fears a ballistic missile strike on two US military bases in Iraq could escalate into a full blown war.

But the president’s address to the nation on Wednesday, flanked by senior cabinet members and top generals at the White House, was criticised by many for the slurred nature of much of his speech, with commentators again questioning Mr Trump’s fitness for office after he stumbled over simple words.

As House speaker Nancy Pelosi prepares for a Thursday vote on limiting his power to launch the US military into further skirmishes overseas, her impeachment stalemate with Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell continues and a new poll forecasts the president losing the 2020 election in November to a “generic Democrat” by a humiliating nine-point margin.

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