‘The mob was fed lies’: McConnell says Trump ‘provoked’ Capitol riots and insists inauguration will be safe
‘The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the president’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell condemned the deadly mob attacks on the Capitol earlier this month and said the riots were “provoked” by President Donald Trump during a speech on the Senate floor on Tuesday afternoon.
“The last time the Senate convened, we had just reclaimed the Capitol from violent criminals,” Mr McConnell said. "The mob was fed lies, they were provoked by the president and other powerful people ... But we pressed on. We stood together and said an angry mob would not get veto power over the rule of law in our nation, not even for one night."
Follow live updates and news on Inauguration Day 2021
“We certified the people's choice for their 46th president,” he added. “Tomorrow, President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris will be sworn in."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also spoke during the floor openings, saying the Senate has a “solemn” responsibility to convict the president in an impeachment trial for “exhorting” and “directing” his supporters to storm the Capitol.
He added: “President Trump is a threat to our constitutional order — whether he’s in, or out of office.”
The minority leader said the Senate would soon be introducing legislation for Covid-19 recovery efforts, as well as conducting an impeachment trial that, if resulting in a conviction of the president, could result in his barring from holding public office.
Bipartisan calls for the president’s removal from office have grown in the final hours of his White House tenure, with lawmakers citing his conduct during the deadly riots and threats of further violence ahead of Inauguration Day.
Mr Trump has been suspended or blocked by virtually all major social media platforms, which have cited threats of violence to the peaceful transition of power and Mr Trump’s continued flagrant falsities surrounding his electoral defeat.
An unprecedented National Guard presence has enveloped Washington DC ahead of the inaugural ceremonies, with thousands of troops stationed at the Capitol building, where President-elect Joe Biden was set to be sworn in on Wednesday.
The ceremony would be mostly virtual, however, with a theme of “national unity.” The president-elect spent the day ahead of his inauguration presiding over a national memorial for the nearly 400,000 Americans who died as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments