Donald Trump has been impeached by the House of Representatives, becoming only the third US president to suffer the ignominy and bringing him a step closer to being removed from office.

Two articles of impeachment were passed over his behaviour in the Ukraine scandal - one for abuse of power and the other for obstruction of Congress.

Not a single Republican voted for either article - a fact the White House seized on to portray the Democrats’ impeachment drive as motivated by political bias.

The issue will now pass to the Senate, the other body that makes up the US Congress, which will hold a trial on whether to convict and remove Mr Trump from office next month.

But given the Republicans - Mr Trump’s party - hold the Senate majority and two thirds of senators would need to vote for removal it is very unlikely to happen.

Even so, impeachment creates a permanent black mark on Mr Trump’s political legacy that he shares with only two past presidents - Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton.