Market would crash if I am impeached

Donald Trump has been warned the "countdown" to impeachment is underway, after his former lawyer implicated the president in crimes committed during the 2016 election.

On Thursday, Trump publicly addressed the prospect of impeachment for the first time, claiming the market would "crash" if his presidency was threatened.

"I don't know how you can impeach somebody who has done a great job," Trump told Fox News. "I will tell you what, if I ever got impeached, I think the market would crash. I think everybody would be very poor because, without this thinking, you would see – you would see numbers that you wouldn't believe, in reverse."

Trump's comments came after Michael Cohen, his long-time legal "fixer", pleaded guilty to eight criminal charges, including two counts of campaign finance violations, which he said he committed at the direction of the president.

Cohen admitted paying hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, both alleged to have had extramarital affairs with Trump.

Tom Cole, a Republican member of the House of Representatives, warned it was "too soon" to begin impeachment proceedings, but said: "If something comes out that is clear and convincing and impeachable, I think members will act."

Al Green, a Democratic congressman who has previously filed articles of impeachment against Trump, suggested he may do so again following Cohen's guilty plea.

"I think the president has to realise that the countdown to impeachment has already started," he said. "He, at some point, will have to choose if he will face impeachment or if he will resign. It will be his choice. The congress will have no choice but to act."

"At some point, we have to act."

Most Democrats, however, are keeping quiet about the prospect of removing Trump from office, amid fears pushing the issue will fire up the Republican base ahead of the midterm elections in November.

"I don't think that we should be talking about impeachment," Democratic senator Tammy Duckworth said.

Nancy Pelosi, the house Democratic leader, has consistently urged her party not to push the issue, and instead work to uphold special counsel Robert Mueller's ability to investigate potential crimes committed by the Trump campaign.  

"The special counsel's team and the prosecutors in New York are conducting thorough and professional investigations, and they must be allowed to continue free from interference," Pelosi told fellow Democrats on Wednesday. "As November rapidly approaches, we must also stay focused on delivering our strong economic message to hard-working families across America."

Trump allies, however, have been discussing impeachment – raising the prospect in an attempt to convince Republican voters to turn out in November.

Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor hired by Trump last month to join his legal team, warned there would be a "revolt" in the US if the president was impeached.

"You could only impeach [Trump] for political reasons and the American people would revolt against that," he said.

SESSIONS HITS BACK AT TRUMP

In another development, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired back at Trump on Thursday after Trump gave a scathing assessment of his leadership at the Justice Department.

Sessions, a former US senator from Alabama, was one of the first Republican lawmakers to back Trump's presidential election bid and has implemented his hardline immigration policies in the role of attorney general.

But Trump has repeatedly criticised Sessions for recusing himself from overseeing a probe into Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 election and whether Trump's campaign colluded with Moscow. Trump denies any collusion and calls the investigation a "witch hunt."

"I put in an attorney general who never took control of the Justice Department," Trump said in a Fox News interview that aired on Thursday. "He took the job and then he said: 'I'm going to recuse myself.' ... I said, 'What kind of a man is this?'"

In a rare rebuttal to Trump, Sessions quickly moved to defend himself.

"I took control of the Department of Justice the day I was sworn in," Sessions said in a statement. "While I am attorney general, the actions of the Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations."

The response sparked new speculation that Trump might fire Sessions, although some senior Republican lawmakers offered the attorney general support.

"I know this is a difficult position for him to be in, but I think it would be bad for the country, it would be bad for the president, it would be bad for the Department of Justice for him to be forced out under these circumstances," said Senator John Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican.

Senator Lindsey Graham, who is both close to Trump and a defender of Sessions, said he believed Trump would appoint a new attorney general but should wait until after Nov. 6 congressional elections, in which Republicans are seeking to maintain control of both the House of Representatives and Senate.