Ducey: Trump ‘bears some responsibility’ for Capitol riot

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Thursday said President Donald Trump “bears some responsibility” for the siege on the U.S. Capitol last week.

But the governor indicated he did not support impeachment, saying he believes “people want to move forward.”

“You can be for retribution, or you can have the wisdom of turning down the heat,” Ducey said during an appearance on KTAR (92.3 FM). “The country is divided, and healing may be too high of an objective, but calming is something we can aspire to.”

The Republican leader noted President-elect Joe Biden will take office in less than a week, and he plans to attend his inauguration.

It was the governor’s first acknowledgment of Trump’s role in the deadly rioting that interrupted congressional proceedings in Washington, D.C., last week.

Despite having repeatedly denounced “violence and vandalism” at the U.S. Capitol, Ducey had earned criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike for glossing over Trump’s push for supporters to march to Capitol Hill and “show strength.”

The governor also took aim Thursday at the congressional representatives who unsuccessfully attempted to reject Arizona’s electoral votes: Republicans Paul Gosar, Andy Biggs and Debbie Lesko.

Leading up to the general election, Ducey had rejected the president’s efforts to undermine confidence in Arizona’s election system. As votes were counted, Ducey stressed that no “last-minute changes” were enacted and officials were “following established Arizona election law to the letter.”

“They were misleading people,” Ducey said of officials who supported Trump’s claim the election was “stolen” from the president. “Arizona’s vote count was accurate, and it was audited. All challenges were heard in court, and none had any credibility.”

The governor pointed to what he called “definite issues” in other states, such as election officials tried to revamp voting procedures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But “by all indications,” he said, the resulting errors “weren’t enough to overturn the election.”

Ducey went on to urge voters on the losing side of the presidential election to “put country before party” in a statement released after his KTAR interview.

“In America, we believe in the peaceful transition of power,” he said. “Never has it been more important than right now to observe these traditions for the whole world to see.”