Donald Trump says he is 'outraged by lawlessness, violence and mayhem' at US Capitol
8 January 2021, 00:24 | Updated: 8 January 2021, 00:58
Donald Trump has said in a video posted to Twitter that he is 'outraged by the lawlessness, violence and mayhem' at the US Capitol on Wednesday.
"America is, and must always be, a nation of law and order," President Trump stated.
He said that he is "outraged" by the "heinous attack" on the US Capitol by his supporters, saying they "defiled the seat of American democracy" and telling them that "you do not represent our country" and "you will pay."
Mr Trump also said in the statement that he "immediately deployed the national guard and federal agencies" to secure the building and "expel the intruders", although this is disputed.
He also stressed that his priority is now arranging for an orderly transition to a new administration, and said Joe Biden will be sworn in on 20 January.
"A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power. This moment calls for healing and reconciliation," he said.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2021
Mr Trump added: "We must get on with the business of America. My campaign vigorously pursued every legal avenue to contest the election results, my only goal was to ensure the integrity of the vote. In so doing, I was fighting to defend American democracy.
"I continue to strongly believe that we must reform our election laws to verify the identity and eligibility of all voters and to ensure faith and confidence in all future elections."
Mr Trump did not address his role in inciting the violence. But he did tell his supporters that, while he knows they are "disappointed", he wanted them to know "our incredible journey is only just beginning".
It is the first tweet the president has posted since his account was suspended on Wednesday "for repeated and severe violations of Civic Integrity policy."
Former Pence Adviser: Trump is Dangerous invoke the 25th now
It comes after US President-elect Joe Biden condemned the mob who stormed Capitol on Wednesday as "domestic terrorists" whilst criticising Donald Trump for his "all out assault" on democracy.
Speaking about the demonstrators who stormed the Capitol, Mr Biden said their actions were an "assault on our liberty".
During remarks in Wilmington, Delaware, on Thursday, Mr Biden said people should not call the hundreds of Trump supporters who broke into the Capitol "protesters."
"Don't dare call them protesters - they were a riotous mob, insurrectionists," he said.The president elect then accused Trump of "unleashing an all-out assault on our institutions of democracy - and yesterday was the culmination".
He added it had been the "darkest day in the history of our nation".
House speaker Nancy Pelosi also spoke out against the president, saying Donald Trump committed a "seditious act", and said there had been an "unspeakable assault on our nation and our people".
She called for Mr Trump to be removed from office with immediate effect, and said the Democrats were pushing for his impeachment.
Ms Pelosi said she was expecting a quick decision from Vice President Mike Pence about whether to invoke the 25th amendment.
Joe Biden condemns 'domestic terrorists' at Capitol
During a short statement, Kayleigh McEnany said: "Those who violently besieged our Capitol are the opposite of everything this administration stands for."
She told reporters the White House condemns the violence "in the strongest possible terms", saying it was "unacceptable".
“We condemn it, the President and this administration in the strongest possible terms. It is unacceptable. And those that broke the law should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Ms McEnany said.
She also called on America to "unite, to come together" and added: "We are one American people under God."
