Trump says US is at stake like never before

NEW YORK

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that his country is at stake like never before over impeachment investigation.

"Because our country is at stake like never before. It is all very simple. They are trying to stop me because I am fighting for you, and I will never let that happen," Trump said in a video message on Twitter.

Slamming the Democrats, Trump said that they want to take everything from the U.S. citizens.

"The Democrats want to take away your guns, they want to take away your healthcare, they want to take away your vote, they want to take away your freedom, they want to take away your judges."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi initiated a formal impeachment investigation into the president on Tuesday, setting off a chain of events that could lead to the president's ouster.

It stems from a whistleblower complaint that Trump was using his office to pressure Ukraine into opening an investigation into Joe Biden, his rival 2020 presidential election candidate.

The House is constitutionally granted the power to begin impeachment proceedings against a sitting president in which it weighs charges against the commander-in-chief. If it approves by a majority at least one impeachment article the president is impeached and the matter is turned over to the Senate where proceedings akin to a trial begin.

If convicted by two-thirds of the chamber a president is forced out of office. That would appear unlikely in Trump's case where Republicans, who currently hold a majority there, are expected to line up behind the president.

Only two presidents have been impeached in U.S. history -- Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. Richard Nixon resigned from America's highest office in order to avoid the proceedings.