Trump calls impeachment accusation 'ridiculous'

Trump -- who will be only the third US president to be impeached if the full House of Representatives backs the charges -- also renewed his familiar claim on Twitter that he is the victim of a "WITCH HUNT!"

Earlier, senior Democratic lawmaker Jerry Nadler announced the charges that Trump pressured Ukraine to open a corruption probe purely for the aim of embarrassing one of his 2020 reelection rivals.

"Ridiculous, and he knows that is not true," Trump tweeted.

Separately, White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham called the impeachment articles a "partisan, gratuitous, and pathetic attempt to overthrow the Trump Administration and the results of the 2016 election."