US President Donald Trump has dismissed as "ridiculous" efforts by Democrats in Congress to impeach him for inciting insurrection at last week's deadly riots on Capitol Hill.

He said the impeachment process was causing "tremendous anger".

Trump calls second impeachment 'ridiculous' https://t.co/tBKeyynL6Z

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 12, 2021

Mr Trump, who leaves office on 20 January, spoke as he departed for Texas to view part of the Mexico border wall.

A first vote will go ahead in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, say the Democrats, who are in the majority.

House Democrats say the vote will take place unless Vice-President Mike Pence invokes constitutional powers to remove Mr Trump from office - an idea Mr Pence is said to oppose.

Calls for Mr Trump's resignation, removal from office or impeachment have grown among Democrats and some Republicans in the days following the riots in Congress in which five people died.

If the vote in the House is carried, Mr Trump will become the first president in US history to be impeached twice. However, the impeachment will only lead to his removal from office if a two-thirds majority votes in favour in the Senate.

That would need the assent of a substantial number of Republicans and so far, few have shown any willingness to vote against a president from their own party.