Trump accepts loss after officer dies in violence
Politics intensifies over bid to remove Trump following the riot at Capitol; Pence stays non-committal
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday finally acknowledged publicly that a “new administration” will be taking office shortly as calls grew for his removal from office and a top federal prosecutor said the outgoing president’s incendiary remarks to his supporters before they stormed the Capitol will be a part of an investigation into the attack on US democracy.
“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,” Trump said in a video in which he also condemned the attack on Congress, essentially to distance himself from his supporters who carried it out to prevent it from certifying Presidentelect Joe Biden’s election victory. On Wednesday, he had told them he loved them.
US Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died of injuries suffered when supporters of Trump assaulted the legislative building, the force said on Thursday, bringing to five the number OF fatalities from the riot.
“Officer Sicknick was responding to the riots... and was injured while physically engaging with protesters,” police said in a late-night statement. He succumbed on Thursday after being taken to hospital following his collapse upon returning to his divisional office, they added.
Also on Thursday, the US Capitol police chief handed in his resignation, a source close to the agency told AFP.
The president’s long overdue acknowledgement of his electoral defeat came amid calls from top Democrats for his ouster, purely a punitive move to end his term just 12 days short of his term ending.
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday finally acknowledged publicly that a “new administration” will be taking office shortly as calls grew for his removal from office and a top federal prosecutor said the outgoing president’s incendiary remarks to his supporters before they stormed the Capitol will be a part of an investigation into the attack on US democracy.
“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,” Trump said in a video in which he also condemned the attack on Congress, essentially to distance himself from his supporters who carried it out to prevent it from certifying Presidentelect Joe Biden’s election victory. On Wednesday, he had told them he loved them.
Five people died in the hourslong assault on the seat of the US government that had forced vice-president Mike Pence, who was presiding over the certification process, his family, who were also there, and lawmakers to take shelter wherever they could behind furniture and under desks.
The president’s long overdue acknowledgement of his electoral defeat came amid calls from top Democrats for his ouster, purely a punitive move to end his term just 12 days short of its expiry on January 20. “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.
But Pence was elusive. Senate minority leader Charles Schumer complained to reporters separately that he and Pelosi had tried to call Pence to tell him to invoke the 25th amendment of the constitution, which empowers the cabinet to remove the president for being “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office”. But the vice-president did not take their call as, it was reported later, he was not convinced of the judiciousness of the move given the chaos in the White House and the administration.
Trump’s role in the attack will be part of a sprawling investigation that is underway.