Trump has announced Joe Biden’s transition

WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump for the first time acknowledged his defeat in the Nov. 3 election and announced there would be an “orderly transition” on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, after Congress concluded the electoral vote count early Thursday certifying President- elect Joe Biden’s victory.

Tr ump’s acknowledgment came after a day of chaos and destruction on Capitol Hill as a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol and unleashed unprecedented scenes of mayhem in hopes of halting the peaceful transition of power.

Members of Congress were forced into hiding, offices were ransacked, and the formal congressional tally of Electoral College votes was halted for more than six hours.

“Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, never

theless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th,” Trump said in a statement posted to Twitter by his social media director. Trump’s account had been locked by the company for posting messages that appeared to justify the assault on the seat of the nation’s democracy.

Trump added, “While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to

Make America Great Again!”

The president has spent the past two months refusing to concede and making baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud, even though his own Justice Department, federal courts, including the Supreme Court, and state governments have said repeatedly the vote was carried out freely and fairly.

Trump’s refusal to accept reality and his incendiary rhetoric reached a breaking

point Wednesday when loyalists violently occupied the Capitol in one of the most jarring scenes ever to unfold in the nation’s capital. Authorities said four people died during the violence, including one woman who was shot by an officer outside the House chamber.

Trump had encouraged his supporters to march on the Capitol to protest lawmakers’ actions, and he later appeared to excuse the violent occupation by the mob.