Former Vice President Joe Biden and current 2020 Democratic primary candidate officially called — for the first time — for President Donald Trump to be impeached.

Biden made his remarks during a campaign stop in Rochester, New Hampshire — and the president replied immediately.

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During his tightly written speech — and while surrounded by supporters — Biden announced his support of Trump’s impeachment, claiming the president lied under oath and made a mockery of the Constitution.

“Donald Trump has violated his oath of office, betrayed this nation and committed impeachable acts … He should be impeached,” Biden said in the Rochester remarks.

Biden claimed Trump “indicted himself” in the much-debated July 25 phone call with the Ukraine president — a phone call in which Democrats insist Trump tried to pressure the Ukrainian government to investigate the former vice president and his son, Hunter Biden, over their business dealings in the country.

Related: White House Releases Transcript of Trump July 25 Phone Call

Trump has called that phone call perfectly fine and said he did nothing wrong.

Biden on Wednesday also argued that Trump “convicted himself” when he called upon both Ukraine and China to check out the Biden family last week for potential corruption.

The former vice president was referring to comments Trump made outside the White House last week. The president told reporters, “China should start an investigation into the Bidens, because what happened in China is just about as bad as what happened Ukraine.”

Related: Defiant Trump Turns Tables on Democrats

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Last Friday in a blistering tweet, Trump also stood by his calls for the Biden family to be investigated.

“As President I have an obligation to end CORRUPTION, even if that means requesting the help of a foreign country or countries,” Trump tweeted.

“It is done all the time. This has NOTHING to do with politics or a political campaign against the Bidens. This does have to do with their corruption!”

Biden continued his speech yesterday by trying to shame Trump.

“Trump isn’t just testing us. He’s laughing at us. He has no sense of decency … We have to prove him wrong,” he said.

“We have to prove that [we] are up to this moment — and this is an especially dangerous moment for this nation,” Biden added in part.

Trump responded on Twitter almost as soon as Biden’s speech ended.

“So pathetic to see Sleepy Joe Biden, who with his son, Hunter, and to the detriment of the American taxpayer, has ripped off at least two countries for millions of dollars, calling for my impeachment — and I did nothing wrong.”

“Joe’s Failing Campaign gave him no other choice!” Trump also tweeted.

Up until Wednesday, Biden had only said he would support Trump’s impeachment on a conditional basis.

So these latest remarks are the first time the former vice president has publicly voiced his support for impeachment with no caveats.

Naturally, those on the Left have praised the speech — including Fox News contributor Donna Brazile, the former Democratic National Committee interim chair (and yes, the same person who gave Hillary Clinton a tip before a debate in the last election). She said on Thursday morning on the Fox News “America’s Newsroom” program that Biden was strong on “offense” in this speech. And she praised him for his good day on Wednesday.

Though Biden claims he’s joined the calls for Trump’s impeachment because of the latest developments in the Ukraine story, it’s clear to those on the Right that he’s desperate to drum up support from his increasingly angry (and increasingly progressive) Democratic base — a group that wants to see Trump out of office as soon as possible.

With new polls saying Biden is now trailing behind Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in the race to the Democratic presidential nomination, it’s no wonder he picked now to call desperately for Trump’s impeachment.

Here’s another reason this timing is not coincidental: The next Democratic primary debate is next week. It’s likely Biden wants to be able to say, in no uncertain terms, that he’s called for Trump’s impeachment.

See the Biden remarks below — and some reactions to those remarks.

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