BackTrump promises smooth transition of the new govt, condemns US Capitol attack
U.S. Capitol Police chief was forced over the failure to stop the breach hours after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for invoking the 25th Amendment to the Constitution. Joe Biden is leaving it up to the Cabinet to decide whether to remove President Trump from office using the 25th Amendment.
PremiumPresident Donald Trump on Thursday night condemned the mob violence at the US Capitol saying it left him outraged. He also promised a smooth transition of the new government on January 20, when Joe Biden takes office.
In a new video message posted on Twitter, Trump said, now that Congress has certified the results, the “new administration will be inaugurated on January 20" and his “focus now turns to ensure a smooth orderly and seamless transition of power."
In the same video, he also spoke against the attack calling it a “heinous attack" that left him “outraged by the violence lawlessness and mayhem."
Also Read | How US democracy nearly came undone
Trump did not address his role in inciting the violence. But he is telling his supporters that, while he knows they are “disappointed," he wants them to know “our incredible journey is only just beginning."
Trump also said, serving America was an honour of a lifetime.
In the immediate aftermath, the attack on the world’s iconic dome of democracy reinforced lawmakers’ resolve to stay up all night to finish counting the Electoral College vote confirming that Democrat Joe Biden won the presidential election.
But the rampage that shocked the world and left the country on edge forced the resignation of the U.S. Capitol Police chief Steven Sund over the failure to stop the breach. It led lawmakers to demand a review of operations and an FBI briefing over what they called a “terrorist attack." And it is prompting a broader reckoning over Trump’s tenure in office and what comes next for a torn nation.
Nancy Pelosi called for invoking the 25th Amendment
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said any remaining day with the president in power could be “a horror show for America." Likewise, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the attack on the Capitol was “an insurrection against the United States, incited by the president," and Trump must not stay in office “one day" longer.
Pelosi and Schumer called for invoking the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to force Trump from office before Biden is inaugurated on Jan. 20. Schumer said he and Pelosi tried to call Vice President Mike Pence early Thursday to discuss that option but were unable to connect with him.
Hours after that sources confirm Steven Sund "is resigning effective January 16, 2021,"
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said late Thursday that five non-career staff members at the agency will resign effective Monday in the wake of the assault on the U.S. Capitol.
The email from FAA chief of staff Angela Stubblefield said "all our non-career staff members here at FAA" that had been appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump were resigning. Her email added that "given the gravity of yesterday's events, are understandable. Like all of us, they are outraged by the brazen and violent attack on one of the sacred institutions of American democracy."
The Wall Street Journal editorial board also on Thursday called on U.S. President Donald Trump to resign, blaming him for inciting the storming of the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday by a mob of his supporters.
White House condemns the attack
Earlier during a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany condemned the attack saying: "Let me be clear, the violence we saw yesterday at US Capitol was appalling, reprehensible, and antithetical to the American way. We condemn it, the President and this administration in the strongest possible terms. It is unacceptable and those who broke the law should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
McEnany lamented the loss of lives and injury during the chaotic situation at the Capitol, and thanked law enforcement officers, calling them 'true American heroes'. "Now it is time for America to unite, to come together, to reject the violence we have seen. We are one American people under God," she said.
She also mentioned that the White House was working for an orderly transition of power to President-elect Joe Biden.
State lawmakers and police are taking extra precautions at state capitol buildings as legislatures in most states return to session.
Pro-Donald Trump demonstrators have rallied outside numerous capitols since the Nov. 3 election, and some groups have said they want a large presence when lawmakers return. Trump has falsely claimed that widespread voter fraud cost him the election and has convinced many of his supporters that President-elect Joe Biden will be illegitimate.
Wednesday’s storming of the U.S. Capitol has heightened concerns.
Biden team says - Focused on Duty
President-elect Joe Biden is leaving it up to the current Cabinet to decide whether to remove President Donald Trump from office using the 25th Amendment.
Transition aide Andrew Bates says in a statement Thursday that Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are “focused on their duty" - the transition work in preparation for their inauguration on January 20 - “and will leave it to Vice President Pence, the Cabinet and the Congress to act as they see fit."
The 25th Amendment allows for a majority of the Cabinet to vote to transfer the powers of the presidency to the vice president in cases where the president is unable to perform his duty. Trump officials are facing growing calls to consider the move after pro-Trump protesters, egged on by the president himself, broke into the Capitol on Wednesday in a violent melee that forced lawmakers to evacuate.
Biden avoided weighing in on whether Trump should be impeached again, a move already gaining traction among House Democrats in an attempt to remove the president from power before he leaves office later this month.
However, the president-elect noted the Capitol attack as disorder and domestic terrorism.
(With inputs from agencies)
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