Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives launched a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

In a brief televised statement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Trump of seeking Ukraine's help to smear Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 elections. She described Trump's behavior as a "betrayal of his oath of office, betrayal of our national security and betrayal of the integrity of our elections."

According to Einar Tangen, a current affairs commentator, there are different opinions among Democrats on Trump's impeachment. Senior officials, including Pelosi, resisted calls for Trump's impeachment for months. They believe the process needs a real "smoking gun," something on paper to prove the fact. For young Democrats, on the other hand, Tangen says they seem very intent on an impeachment; while others appear "cagey" about the issue.

On whether the impeachment announcement could backfire, Tangen says Pelosi had already been concerned about this. Many anticipated Trump to fire back. He took to Twitter within less than an hour of the announcement. There are speculations the move has been in the works for a month. Tangen says this indicates a battle line between both sides.