Trump flips on siege as dismissal clouds gather
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump finally condemned the attack by his supporters on the Capitol as “heinous” and acknowledged on Thursday that a “new administration” will be taking office shortly, even as calls grew from senior-most Democrats for his removal from office and a top federal prosecutor said the President’s incendiary remarks to his supporters before they stormed the Capitol will be a part of an investigation into the most shocking assault on US democracy.
“Like all Americans, I am outraged by the violence, lawlessness and mayhem,” Trump said in a video message, essentially to distance himself from his supporters who carried out the attack on Congress, at his instigation, to prevent it from certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory.
On Wednesday, in a message during the attack, he had told them he “loved them”.
In Thursday’s message, he said: “Now, Congress has certified the results, and new administration will be inaugurated on January 20. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth orderly and seamless transition of power.” Even while appearing reconciliatory, though, Trump could not bring himself to either call Biden the winner or congratulate him. He later tweeted he would not attend the new President’s inauguration.
Earlier in the day, Presidentelect Biden launched a scathing attack on his predecessor, tying him to the attack on the Capitol. “For the past four years we’ve had a president who has made his contempt for our democracy, our Constitution, and the rule of law clear in everything he has done,” Biden said as he presented his justice department team, to be led by Merrick Garland as attorney general.
But Biden did not associate himself with efforts by Democrats on the Hill to force Trump out, either through the exercise of the 25th Amendment, which empowers the Cabinet to remove the president for being unable to govern, or trying to impeach him, for the second time.
His transition team told reporters the President-elect would leave all such decision to the congressional leadership of the Democrats.
Five people, include a Capitol police personnel, died in Wednesday’s hours-long assault on the seat of US democracy that had forced Vice-President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the certification process, and his family, who were also there, and other lawmakers, to take shelter wherever they could, some hiding behind furniture and under desks. Badly outnumbered, security personnel withdrew, yielding full control of the premises to the rioters clad in Trump campaign gear — red hats emblazoned with his poll slogan “Make America Great Again” — and carrying his flag, and those of the Confederacy, which had fought to save slavery, but lost to the Union led by President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.
The outgoing President’s long-overdue acknowledgement of his electoral defeat came even as calls grew for his ouster, purely a punitive move to end his term just 12 days short of its expiration date. “I join the Senate Democratic leader in calling on the vice president to remove this president by immediately invoking the 25th amendment. If the Vice President and Cabinet do not act, the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment. That is the overwhelming sentiment of my caucus -- and the American people by the way,” Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives told reporters on Capitol Hill.
She added: “By inciting sedition as he did yesterday, he must be removed for office. While there’s only 13 days left, any day could be a horror show for America.”
But Pence was elusive. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer complained to reporters separately he and Pelosi had tried to call Pence to tell him to invoke the 25th amendment of the American constitution, which empowers the Cabinet to remove the president for being “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office”. The Vice-President did not take their call as he is not convinced of the judiciousness of the move given the chaos in the White House and the administration.
Asked if federal agents and prosecutors will look at the incendiary statements by speakers at a rally Trump addressed shortly before the mob set forth for the Capitol, acting US Attorney for DC Michael Sherwin told reporters on a briefing call: “Yes, we are looking at all actors here, not only the people that went into the building, but … were there others that maybe assisted or facilitated or played some ancillary role in this. We will look at every actor and all criminal charges.”