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US President Donald Trump says there will be an “orderly transition on January 20” after Congress completes the recount of electoral votes certifying the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.
Trump’s statement came hours after he appeared to excuse the violent occupation of the United States Capitol by his supporters.
Trump acknowledged defeat in the Nov. 3 election for the first time, following a day of chaos and destruction on Capitol Hill perpetrated on his behalf by supporters who held up business in Congress for more than six hours.
“Although I totally disagree with the election result and the facts confirm me, there will be an orderly transition on January 20,” Trump said in a statement posted on Twitter by attendees.
His personal account was blocked by the social media company for posting messages that appeared to justify the assault on the nation’s democracy headquarters.
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Trump added: “While this represents the end of the best first term in presidential history, it is just the beginning of our fight to make America great again!”
Trump on Wednesday (local time) had encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol to protest the actions of lawmakers, expressed empathy for the mob, which violently broke through, confronted the police and forced lawmakers to hide.
“These are the things and events that happen when a sacred and overwhelming electoral victory is so brutally and unceremoniously stripped of the great patriots who have been mistreated and unjustly for so long,” Trump wrote in a message that was later deleted. by Twitter. He added: “Go home with love and in peace. Remember this day forever! “
In a previous video, he had praised the protesters as “special” people and said he understood their pain. Later, Twitter blocked his account for the first time, demanding that he remove the tweets and threatening a “permanent suspension.”
Susan Walsh / AP
Joe Biden’s electoral victory over Trump has finally been officially confirmed.
Trump’s response to the violence underscored his months-long obsession with trying to reverse the election results, spending the final days of his presidency enraged and lashing out at Republicans for their alleged disloyalty.
Trump spent much of Wednesday afternoon watching the insurrection on television from his private dining room across from the Oval Office. But aside from calls for calm issued at the urging of his staff, he largely fell off the hook as the nation’s capital descended into scenes of unprecedented chaos as crowds of thousands tried to halt the peaceful transition of power.
Instead, a White House official said, most of Trump’s attention was consumed by his anger at Vice President Mike Pence, who said he would not revoke the will of the voters in the Congressional vote count. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke only on condition of anonymity.
Rick Bowmer / AP
Supporters of US President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol that same day.
The violence, coupled with the president’s lukewarm response, appeared to push many Republicans to the brink after years of loyalty to Trump. In a sign of mounting frustration, several White House aides were discussing a possible mass resignation, according to people familiar with the conversation, though some harbored concerns about what Trump might do in his last two weeks in office if they weren’t there to. do what. they serve as railings when so few remain.
After four years with no shortage of tense moments, Wednesday’s events quickly emerged as the lowest point in morale in the Trump White House, as attendees watched in horror at the Trump-fueled chaos on Capitol Hill.
Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s chief of staff and a former White House press secretary, resigned Wednesday but declined to say what motivated her. Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger, White House Social Secretary Rickie Niceta and Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews also resigned, according to officials. More departures were expected in the coming days, authorities said. But other attendees indicated they would stay to help smooth the transition to President-elect Biden’s administration.
Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images
US President Donald Trump has given up trying to reverse Joe Biden’s election victory.
Trump has been focused on his electoral defeat since Election Day, his aides said, at the expense of his office’s other responsibilities, including fighting the coronavirus. In fact, it was Pence, not Trump, who spoke with the acting Secretary of Defense to discuss the mobilization of the DC National Guard on Wednesday afternoon.
Trump only reluctantly issued the tweets and recorded a video encouraging an end to the violence. The posts came at the insistence of staff and amid mounting criticism from Republican lawmakers urging them to condemn the violence perpetrated on their behalf, according to the official.
And even as authorities struggled to seize control of Capitol Hill after protesters overwhelmed police, Trump continued to press unsubstantiated allegations of massive voter fraud and praised his loyalists as “very special.”
“I know your pain. I know your pain. But you have to go home now, ”he said in a video posted more than 90 minutes after lawmakers were evacuated from the House and Senate chambers. “We cannot play these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You are very special “.
Jose Luis Magana
Four people were killed when pro-Trump protesters stormed the Capitol.
In a sign of the extraordinary events that had unfolded over the past 24 hours, Trump’s statement acknowledging that he would leave office on January 20 could not be posted on the president’s Twitter or Facebook feeds because both accounts have been suspended by the Business. Instead, it was posted via the Twitter account of Trump’s social media director Dan Scavino, who frequently tweets on his behalf.
Hours earlier, Trump had appeared at a massive rally near the White House, where he continued to urge his supporters to fight the election results and encouraged them to march on Capitol Hill in comments peppered with inflammatory language and riddled with violent overtones. At one point, he even suggested that he could join them, a prospect that was discussed by the White House but ultimately abandoned.
“We’re going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue … and we’re going to the Capitol … we’re going to try to give our Republicans … the kind of pride and boldness they need to take back our country,” he said.
At the beginning of the demonstration, his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, had advocated for what he had called “trial by combat.”
Trump’s tweets and video also caught the attention of social media giants whom he has frequently vilified. The video was removed by Facebook, “because in general we believe that it contributes, rather than diminishes, the risk of continued violence,” said the site’s chief integrity officer, Guy Rosen. Twitter took a more punitive approach, blocked Trump’s account and warned: “Future violations of the Twitter Rules, including our Civic Integrity or Violent Threats policies, will result in permanent suspension of the @realDonaldTrump account.”
Before Trump released the video, Republican lawmakers and former administration officials had pleaded with the president to intervene as violence soared.
Jose Luis Magana
Capitol police in riot gear responded when protesters caused chaos in Washington.
“I called him. I think we have to make a statement, make sure we can calm people down,” said House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy of California. Fox News.
A Senate ally, Republican Marco Rubio of Florida, appealed directly to the president in a tweet: “Mr. President @realDonaldTrump, the men and women of law enforcement, are under attack. It is critical that you help restore order by sending resources to help the police and asking those who do this to stand down. “
Representative Mike Gallagher posted a video message urging Trump to “cancel.”
“This is the banana republic c … that we are looking at right now,” said Gallagher, who had spoken out against the objections of his fellow Republicans to certify the Electoral College vote that Biden won.
Former White House staff also issued pleas.
“Condemn this now @realDonaldTrump, you are the only one they will listen to,” former White House communications director Alyssa Farah tweeted.
His former chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, added: “The best thing @realDonaldTrump can do right now is address the nation from the Oval Office and condemn the unrest. A peaceful transition of power is essential for the country and must take place on 1/20 “.
Pence, who was herded out of the Senate chamber to safety when protesters stormed the building, also called for the protesters to disperse.
“The violence and destruction taking place in the United States Capitol must stop and must stop now,” he tweeted. “Everyone involved must respect law enforcement officials and leave the building immediately.”
