House of Representatives committee approves two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump

The abuse of power charge stems from Mr Trump's July phone call with the Ukrainian president pressuring him to announce an investigation of Democrats as he was withholding US aid.

The obstruction charge involves the US president's blocking of House efforts to investigate his actions. He has denied wrongdoing.

The vote on the House Judiciary Committee was split along party lines, with 23 Democrats voting in favour and 17 Republicans opposed.

The full House is expected to take up the two articles of impeachment next week.

• READ MORE: Donald Trump tells Greta Thunberg to 'chill' and calls her Time Person of the Year selection 'ridiculous'Mr Trump is accused in the first article of abusing his presidential power by asking Ukraine to investigate his 2020 rival Joe Biden while holding military aid as leverage, and, in the second, of obstructing Congress by blocking the House's efforts to probe his actions.

Voting came quickly after two days of hearings at the Capitol and a rancorous 14-hour session that was abruptly shut down late on Thursday when the Democratic majority refused to be forced, after a long and bitter slog through failed Republican amendments aimed at killing the charges, into midnight voting.

• READ MORE: Donald Trump impeachment: Why UK politicians should beware a similar fate – leader commentInstead, the impeachment charges against Mr Trump were aired in full view of Americans.

Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler, who had said he wanted legislators to "search their consciences" before casting their votes, led the landmark morning session.

Mr Trump took to Twitter early on Friday to praise the panel's Republicans, saying "they were fantastic yesterday".