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It is official – US President Donald Trump has been impeached.
In a historic rebuke on Wednesday night, the US House of Representatives formally charged Mr Trump on two counts – abuse of power and obstructing Congress’s investigation.
Votes for both charges were split along party lines with a vote of 230 to 197 for count one and a vote of 229 votes to 198 for count two.
The divide reflects the chasm that has opened up not just in politics but in the country as a whole.
But what next? What does it actually mean for Mr Trump and his party?
Even as the vote took place, the President appeared on a stage in front of fervent supporters at a rally in Battleground, Michigan.
He told his audience the impeachment process was “a suicide march” for the Democratic Party.
“It’s a disgrace,” he said, showing he is not stepping down from the fight.
Republicans have branded the affair as a “witch hunt”, but for many – particularly those who took to the streets in jubilant protest last night – the verdict does not go far enough, and they hope the process will ultimately lead to his removal from office.
Here’s a look at what impeachment means and what happens next:
What is impeachment?
Impeachment is the US constitution’s ultimate remedy for high crimes and misdemeanours.
It is a process by which charges are brought in the US Congress which will form the basis of a trial in the Senate.
The process is a political one, rather than criminal.
Why was Donald Trump impeached?
The 45th President of the United States was investigated and subsequently impeached last night for abusing the power of his office by enlisting a foreign government to investigate a political rival ahead of the 2020 election.
Put simply, Mr Trump is believed to have pressured a foreign leader to dig for dirt on his opponent.
The charges stem from a phone call in July, when Mr Trump is alleged to have asked the new Ukrainian president for a favour.
Mr Trump is said to have sought information on senior Democrats, including the man widely tipped to be facing him in the 2020 elections: Joe Biden.
The president was allegedly seeking information on Mr Biden and his son, Hunter, the latter of whom worked on the board of a Ukrainian gas company while his father was vice president to Barack Obama.
The allegations made during Mr Trump’s call against Mr Biden and his son have since been discredited.
Mr Trump is then alleged to have used military aid and the promise of a White House meeting as leverage. Democrats say this is an abuse of power and a way of using his political office for personal gain at the expense of national security.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, was new to politics and government at the time. The former comedian was seeking a coveted White House visit to show backing from the US as he confronted a hostile Russia at his border.
Mr Zelenskiy was also counting on 391 million dollars (£298 million) in military aid already approved by US Congress. The White House had delayed the funds, but Mr Trump eventually released the money once Congress intervened.
Will Trump have to leave the White House?
It is a possibility, but not yet.
Impeachment does not in itself cause the removal of a President from office.
He will only go if he is either found guilty of the charges by two-thirds of the Senate after a trial.
Or, if he is ousted by another candidate in the next election in November 2020.
So, he is very much still President.
What happens next?
The US House of Representatives voted to impeach. This means that Mr Trump will now face a trial in the Senate – the upper chamber of Congress.
This is expected to take place in January.
After the trial, the Senate will vote on whether to convict the president.
In order to remove Mr Trump from office, the Senate will have to vote in favour by a two-thirds majority.
The US House of Representatives is led by the Democrats – but the Republicans control the Senate. This means that it is highly unlikely Mr Trump will be convicted.
If Mr Trump is removed from office, vice president Mike Pence will take over at the White House, ahead of the presidential elections in November 2020
Have any other US presidents been impeached?
Mr Trump is only the third President to have faced the process in American history.
Only two other Presidents – Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton – have been impeached.
In 1868, Mr Johnson faced a number of allegations, including a charge that he dismissed his secretary of war against the wishes of Congress. The Democrat narrowly survived his impeachment trial, with the two-thirds majority required to convict him being missed by just one vote.
Bill Clinton’s impeachment in 1998 will be fresh in the minds of many. The Democratic president was accused of perjury and obstruction of justice when it was alleged he lied about the nature of his affair with intern Monica Lewinsky, and then also asked her to lie about it.
The vote for a conviction fell far short of the two-thirds majority required in 1999.
Richard Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal in 1974 before he could be impeached.
