Trump asks supporters to 'say a prayer' ahead of vote

WASHINGTON

U.S. President Donald Trump asked supporters Wednesday to pray for him as the House of Representatives is set to vote on two articles of impeachment against the president for his dealings with Ukraine.

"Can you believe that I will be impeached today by the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats, AND I DID NOTHING WRONG! A terrible Thing. Read the Transcripts," said Trump on Twitter. "This should never happen to another President again. Say a PRAYER!"

The Democrat-controlled House will vote on whether to impeach Trump for abusing presidential powers by pushing Ukraine to help himself politically and then obstructing Congress by blocking a subsequent investigation.

No Republicans are expected to vote to impeach Trump.

If the vote goes as expected, it will set the stage for a trial of Trump in the Senate. There, a two-thirds vote of members is needed to eject Trump from the Oval Office, meaning the Republican majority in the upper house can easily block the Democrats.

The House launched impeachment proceedings against Trump on Sept. 24 following claims by a whistle-blower that the commander-in-chief sought to pressure Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 US presidential elections.

In a July 25 phone call, Trump allegedly withheld $391 million in military aid to help Ukraine fight Russian-backed separatists and a coveted White House meeting for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky contingent on a “quid pro quo” arrangement.

In return, Zelensky was supposed to open corruption probes into former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter, who served on the board of Ukrainian gas company, Burisma, as well as into alleged Ukrainian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.

The elder Biden is a leading candidate in the race to win the Democratic nomination and challenge Trump in 2020. Trump, a Republican, has accused Democrats of time-wasting and says the inquiry amounts to a “witch hunt.”