Article snippet: WASHINGTON — In one hectic day in the nation’s capital, Donald Trump’s presidency — which has already survived a special counsel investigation and countless political scandals — shifted back into the danger zone. Trump began the workday declaring that the increasing calls for impeachment over his alleged pressure on Ukraine to dig up dirt on a political rival were “nonsense.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ended the day by announcing the start of a formal impeachment inquiry after she strenuously resisted one for months. It would be the fourth such impeachment inquiry of a president in US history. But like so much of this presidency, the developments were delivered in a surreal atmosphere. Republican lawmakers mostly brushed away questions about the latest scandal. Trump reversed course while at the United Nations and said he’d release a transcript of what he described as his “perfect” July phone call to the Ukrainian leader, which is at the center of the dispute, even after his top adviser, Rudy Giuliani, had ruled out that possibility hours earlier. Former vice president Joe Biden stood against a backdrop of American flags in Delaware and accused Trump of “shredding the Constitution” as he called for impeachment if the president doesn’t comply with a congressional investigation. And in a Twitter tirade, Trump dismissed the whole thing as “Witch Hunt garbage.” Meanwhile, marking the time like a metronome all day were public statements by once-hesitant House Democra... Link to the full article to read more