US President Donald Trump has been impeached by the Democratic-led House of Representatives for obstruction of Congress and abuse of power related to his dealings with Ukraine. 

Wednesday's landmark votes on impeachment come after a more than two-month inquiry by House Democrats, who accuse the president of pressuring Ukraine to open an investigation into the president's political rival and former vice president, Joe Biden, who is also a frontrunner in the 2020 Democratic presidential race.

They also charge that the president obstructed their investigation by refusing to comply with subpoenas and directing members of his administration to do the same. 

The votes made Trump only the third president in United States history to be impeached and set the stage for a likely trial in the Republican-led Senate in January.

No president has ever been removed from office via the impeachment process set out in the Constitution, and Republican senators have given little indication of changing that.

As the impeachment aftermath unfolds, here are all the latest updates as of Thursday, December 19:

'Most corrupt'

In the aftermath of Wednesday's impeachment, all seven Democrat presidential candidates at the last 2019 presidential debate said the president must be defeated at the 2020 ballot box.

"We need to restore the integrity of the presidency," said frontrunner Biden, who accused Trump of "dumbing down" the office "beyond what I even thought he would do".

Senator Bernie Sanders, who is second in the standings, blasted Trump as "running the most corrupt administration in the modern history of this country". 

Fellow Senator Elizabeth Warren added that the president ignores the poor, to do "everything he can for the wealthy and the well-connected".

Schumer presses McConnell for impeachment trial witnesses: spokesman

US Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to consider over the upcoming holiday recess allowing witnesses to testify at Trump's impeachment trial, Schumer spokesman Justin Goodman said.

Following a private meeting of the Democratic and Republican leaders, Goodman said Schumer "made clear to Senator McConnell that the witnesses and documents are necessary to ensure a fair trial in the Senate." 

Trump to meet party-switching Dem after impeachment 'no'

Expected party-switcher Representative Jeff Van Drew was sched