Congress: Donald Trump concedes election, calls for ‘healing,’ condemns rioters
Donald Trump calls for ‘reconciliation’ as he concedes his presidency is over, but gives supporters a message of hope.
Donald Trump has called for “healing and reconciliation” in an address in which he condemns the violence of the Capitol riots and concedes his days as president are nearly over.
After a day of mayhem in which five people died, including a Capitol police officer and a protester shot at close range, Mr Trump said he was “outraged” by the “violence, lawlessness and mayhem” of the riots that he is accused of inciting.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2021
In his address, released by the White House, the President said the people who “infiltrated the Capitol have defiled the seat of democracy,” and told protesters who had engaged in violence: “You do not represent our country”.
He added: “To those you broke the law, you will pay.”
Mr Trump spoke after President-elect Joe Biden accused him of encouraging the chaos and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned Congress would move to impeach him unless Vice-President Mike Pence invoked the 25th Amendment to have him removed immediately.
World leaders have also come forward to condemn the violence, with British Prime Minister “unreservedly” damning Mr Trump for encouraging it.
The President has also seen a number of senior White House aides resign in protest, as well as Transportation Secretary Elain Chao, Mitch McConnell’s wife, a long time loyalist.
Mr Trump said serving as president had been the “honour of my life,” and defended his weeks long fight to overturn the election results, saying he was only “fighting to defend democracy.”
He acknowledged that the past weeks had been a time of high emotion but urged cooler tempers, and a restoration of calm.
“We must get on with the business of America,” he said, coneding: “Congress has certified the results. A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20 and my focus must be on ensuring a smooth and orderly transition of power.”
After the “challenging” events of 2020, he called on Americans to work together to defeat the pandemic and restore the economy, saying it was time to “revitalise the sacred bonds of love and loyalty that bind us together as one national family”.
But in the last seconds of the address, he suggested that he would not just fade into the distance.
“To all my wonderful supporters, I know you are disappointed,” he said. “But I want you to know our incredible journey is only just beginning.”
How today’s events unfolded
Anne Barrowclough 10.45am: Capitol police officer dies after riots
A US Capitol Police officer has died as a result of yesterday’s violence at the Capitol, CNN reports.
The officer’s death brings the total toll of the riots to five. One protester - Ashli Babbitt- was shot in the neck as she joined rioters storming the Capitol Three other people suffered medical emergencies.
Anne Barrowclough 10.25am: Capitol Police Chief resigns over protests
The Capitol Police Chief has resigned in the wake of yesterday’s violence and lawlessness.
Steven Sund’s resignation, effective January 16, comes after police were overwhelmed as Trump supporters took control of the Capitol.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanded he go earlier today amid claims of a complete failure by police to contain the violence. Federal prosecutors have said they would look at the role of all actors in the riots, including that of Donald Trump.
“Many of our Capitol police just acted so bravely . . . and they deserve our gratitude,” Ms Pelosi said. “But there was a failure of leadership at the top of the Capitol police.”
Earlier, Ms Sund said in a statement that his force would conduct a “thorough review of this incident, security planning and policies and procedures”, but insisted his officers had performed “valiantly” after “thousands” of rioters stormed the Capitol.
Jade Gailberger 10.15am: Morrison lashed for ‘mealy-mouthed’ reaction to riots
Scott Morrison has been slammed for being “mealy-mouthed” after he failed to call out Donald Trump’s role in the shocking Capitol riots.
In a rare television appearance, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and former opposition leader Bill Shorten have accused Mr Morrison of being weak in his response to the US President inciting supporters, who then stormed the halls of Congress.
Very distressing scenes at the US Congress. We condemn these acts of violence and look forward to a peaceful transfer of Government to the newly elected administration in the great American democratic tradition.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) January 6, 2021
Speaking on Today, Mr Turnbull said the Prime Minister should have joined UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in condemning Trump’s actions.
“There is no point being mealy-mouthed about this,” Mr Turnbull said.
“This was not an issue of domestic American politics. This was the President of the United States inciting a mob, many of whom were armed, to attack and lay siege to the country’s parliament.
“You do not do any service to Australia, or our friends in America, by doing anything other than calling a spade anything other than a spade.”
Labor MP Bill Shorten agreed, adding Mr Morrison’s response was “weak and tepid”.
“He did the right thing and criticised the violence but just about most of the Western world and our allies around the world have gone further,” Mr Shorten said.
“This president has no respect for the truth or the rule of law. He will be gone in 12 days, thank goodness.”
Anne Barrowclough 9.50am: White House condemns ‘unacceptable’ violence
The White House has for the first time condemned the riots at the US Capitol and pledged an orderly transition of power.
In her first public remarks since the riots, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany condemned the violence “in the strongest possible terms”.
“It is unacceptable and those who broke the law should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” she said.
Ms McEnany added that “those who are working in this building are working to ensure an orderly transition of power.”
White House Press Secretary @kayleighmcenany: "Those who violently besieged our Capitol are the opposite of what this administration stands for."
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) January 7, 2021
Full remarks below. pic.twitter.com/mWKPiawJ45
But the Trump administration also lashed Facebook for announcing it would block Mr Trump’s account indefinitely.
“It is indisputable that nobody has been more successful at using digital media than President Trump to communicate directly with the American people, but it’s incredibly ironic, yet not surprising, that when the President spoke to the country at a critical time Big Tech chose to censor and block him from doing so,” White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement. “Big Tech is out of control.”
Anne Barrowclough 9.25am: Pence ‘plans to attend inauguration’
Mike Pence reportedly plans to attend Joe Biden’s inauguration in a show of support for a peaceful transition.
Sources told US media the Vice-President’s decision to attend the inauguration became easier after Donald Trump’s attacks on him for refusing the president’s demand that he stop Mr Biden’s certification. The pair have not spoken since, and are deeply angry with each other, according to media reports.
“It was a much more difficult decision days ago, but less difficult now,” a person close to Mr Pence told Politico.
Agencies 9.05am: Michelle Obama: tech giants must ban Trump permanently
Michelle Obama has called on tech giants to permanently ban President Trump and put policies in place “to prevent their technology from being used by the nation’s leaders to fuel insurrection.”
Like all of you, I’ve been feeling so many emotions since yesterday. I tried to put my thoughts down here: pic.twitter.com/9xzRvrpk7y
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) January 7, 2021
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) January 7, 2021
In a statement on Twitter, the former First Lady also compared the “brute force” meted out on Black Lives Matter protesters with the leniency with which the rioters were handled.
Mrs Obama described yesterday as “the fulfillment of the wishes of an infantile and unpatriotic president who can’t handle the truth of his failures.”
She added: “I can’t think about moving on or moving the page until we reckon with the reality of what we saw yesterday.
“Now is the time for Silicon Valley to stop enabling this monstrous behaviour.”
Agencies 8.35am: ‘All options on table’ for prosecutions
The top federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia says “all options are on the table” for charges against the violent mob that stormed the US Capitol, including sedition.
Michael Sherwin, acting US attorney for Washington, said prosecutors planned to file 15 federal cases on Thursday for crimes including unauthorized access and theft of property, and investigators are combing through scores of evidence to bring additional charges.
He said 40 other cases had already been charged in a District of Columbia superior court.
Mr Sherwin said prosecutors were looking at the role of all those involved in the unrest, including the role President Trump played in inciting the crowd.
When asked directly by a reporter on a press call if investigators were looking at Mr Trump’s role, Mr Sherwin said: “We’re looking at all actors here and anyone that had a role and, if the evidence fits the elements of the crime, they’re going to be charged.”
Police say more than 90 people were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday morning.
Ian Tailey 8.05am: Extremists posted Capitol attack plans on social media
Several websites that analysts say are hotbeds for far-right and racist ideology hosted numerous chat threads urging Trump supporters to “storm the Capitol” on Jan. 6.
On Monday, several posters in the chat room boards.4chan.org/pol/ said Trump supporters planned to force an evacuation of the Capitol on Wednesday as lawmakers voted to affirm electoral ballots for President-elect Joe Biden.
“The storm is coming,” anonymous poster “txMkt1BK” said on the nearly 10,000-word thread. Another person, “ptwPefMr,” wrote that after Trump supporters “storm the Capitol” the “Vote doesnt (sic) finish, Ensuing chaos.”
Multiple posters on a site created last year—TheDonald.win—also discussed storming the Capitol in the days leading up to Wednesday’s riot. One person under the moniker “EvilGuy” said Monday he was “scouting” Washington as part of an effort to “end this shit this week.”
“You mean when we storm the Capitol?” responded a “PikachuJohnson.”
Over the past 12 months, the Anti-Defamation League sent 1,000 tips to law enforcement based on tracking of social-media comments made by US extremists groups leading up to Wednesday’s riot, and noted the increasing ratcheting up of violent rhetoric.
The FBI didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Some of those tips led to arrests and prosecutions, and the ADL will continue to work with law enforcement to help identify perpetrators, said ADL head Jonathan Greenblatt.
“We knew this wouldn’t dissipate after Election Day and sure enough, we had been seeing an increasing degree of activity ahead of yesterday,” Mr. Greenblatt said.
Robert Evans, who specializes in far-right extremism for the research group Bellingcat, predicted an attempt on the Capitol in a post Monday on Bellingcat’s website. The taking of the Capitol “was planned by a distributed network of extremists for months, and in some ways for years,” said Mr. Evans, who has advised federal law enforcement on the growing extremist movement in the US.
Mr. Evans, pointing to multiple social-media and chat room sites, said symbols used by rioters captured by videos and photos of Wednesday’s attack identified the ideology of conspiracy theories promoted by far-right extremist groups, especially QAnon. A noose in one protestor’s hand is likely to represent “The Day of the Noose,” he said. A man inside the Capitol wearing a fur hat with horns is known as the “QAnon Shaman,” and others seen armed with guns and zip ties all represent the elements of an attack called for by the group to ensure President Trump held on to the White House and Democrats are unseated from power, Mr. Evans said.
Other signs indicated the violent attack was premeditated, such as a man wearing a black shirt emblazoned “MAGA CIVIL WAR January 6, 2021” along with a Trump baseball cap. His photo appeared on Twitter.
The “pol” chat room on the 4chan board is known among analysts as a hub for spreading far-right ideology, especially white supremacy. Those activists, analysts say, have used TheDonald.Win site to foster their beliefs among the Trump supporters.
Subscribers to the QAnon conspiracy theories believe that the Democratic Party is almost entirely populated with members of an authoritarian, pedophile Satanic cabal secretly ruling the world. Mr. Trump is viewed by many white supremacists and those tied to the QAnon group as a necessary leader to help challenge the cabal, researchers specializing in extremism say.
Social-media postings by the woman killed Wednesday while attempting to occupy the Capitol, Ashli Babbit, suggest she was a dedicated QAnon believer, including saying she was willing to risk her life for the cause.
Although the Proud Boys’ leader, Enrique Tarrio, was arrested Monday in D.C. and told by a judge to stay away from the city, there was plenty of evidence of the group’s presence on Wednesday.
“We are everywhere,” a Proud Boys Telegram channel posted Jan. 6, a post reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. “Things will get difficult soon but don’t lose heart. We are growing and our unity will terrify the evil elites running this nation.”
The Wall St Journal
Anne Barrowclough 7.45am: Twitch joins social media bans on Trump
The gaming platform Twitch has become the latest social media platform to block Donald Trump after his supporters stormed the Capitol yesterday.
The gaming platform has said it disabled President Trump’s channel in the wake of the mob violence.
“In light of yesterday’s shocking attack on the Capitol, we have disabled President Trump’s Twitch channel,” the company said in a statement. “Given the current extraordinary circumstances and the President’s incendiary rhetoric, we believe this is a necessary step to protect our community and prevent Twitch from being used to incite further violence.”
The move from the Amazon-owned service comes as other platforms escalate their restrictions on the President’s accounts.
On Thursday, Facebook banned Trump’s account from posting on the platform for at least the duration of his term in office, and possibly “indefinitely.”
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement on the platform:
“We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great. Therefore, we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete”.
Mr Zuckerg added: “His decision to use his platform to condone rather than condemn the actions of his supporters at the Capitol building has rightly disturbed people in the US and around the world. We removed these statements yesterday because we judged that their effect -- and likely their intent -- would be to provoke further violence.
“Following the certification of the election results by Congress, the priority for the whole country must now be to ensure that the remaining 13 days and the days after inauguration pass peacefully and in accordance with established democratic norms”.
A day earlier, Twitter locked Trump’s account temporarily, and warned for the first time that it could suspend him permanently.
Anne Barrowclough 7.20am: Bolton: Invoking 25th ‘facile’ and unnecessary
John Bolton has poured scorn on the idea of invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Donald Trump from office, saying it was unnecessary and couldn’t be implemented before Joe Biden was inaugurated on Januray 20.
Under the 25th, a president can be removed from office if the Vice-President and a majority of Congress agree that he is incapable of serving. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer have joined a growing number of politicians calling for Donald Trump to be removed.
But Mr Bolton, the President’s former National Security Adviser, has said there was no point in invoking the 25th amendment just 13 days before the inauguration because it would almost certainly fail.
Mr Bolton told Sky News that while Mr Trump was still commander in chief, any orders he issued to the Pentagon or otherwise would simply be put on a go-slow, so he could not do any lasting damage, especially without his public platform on social media.
Mr Bolton also told Sky News UK the idea of invoking the 25th was “facile,” and assumed Mr Trump would acquiesce - which he would not. Mr Bolton pointed out that if Mr Pence and Congress did invoke the amendment, Mr Trump could appeal and Congress would then have 21 days to decide - so nothing could be done before January 20.
Agencies 6.45am: British PM condemns Trump for inciting riots
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday denounced erstwhile ally Donald Trump after the president’s supporters stormed Congress in response to his incendiary rejection of the US election result.
British PM Johnson: “All my life America has stood for some very important things — the idea of freedom and the idea of democracy. … I unreservedly condemn encouraging people to behave in the disgraceful way that they did in the Capitol.†pic.twitter.com/VvukvHW8e8
— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 7, 2021
“All my life America has stood for some very important things: an idea of freedom and an idea of democracy,” the New York-born Johnson told a news conference devoted to Britain’s coronavirus crisis.
“In so far as he encouraged people to storm the Capitol and in so far as the president consistently has cast doubt on the outcome of a free and fair election, I believe that was completely wrong,” he said.
“And I unreservedly condemn encouraging people to behave in the disgraceful way that they did in the Capitol,” the Prime Minister added.
“And all I can say is I’m very pleased that the president-elect (Joe Biden) has now been properly confirmed and duly confirmed in office, and that democracy has prevailed.” Johnson was the first European leader to speak to Biden after his November election victory, despite Biden’s claim the populist prime minister was a “physical and emotional clone” of Trump.
Anne Barrowclough 6.30am: Pelosi: Invoke 25th or we will impeach
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment over yesterday’s riots at the Capitol, saying Congress would move to impeach if it didn’t happen.
“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 the 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,” Ms Pelosi told reporters.
Earlier, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also called for the vice president to invoke the 25th Amendment immediately.
Ms Pelosi also demanded the resignation of Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund over the failure of police to contain the riots.
Andrew Duehren 6.20am: McConnell lashes ‘massive failure’ of security
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that Wednesday’s breach of security at the Capitol was a “massive failure” that Congress would investigate.
In a statement Thursday, Mr. McConnell became the latest politician to criticize Capitol police for allowing a mob of President Trump’s supporters to break into the Capitol building. Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Stenger has resigned after Chuck Schumer threatened to fire him if Mr Stenger is still in place when Mr. Schumer becomes majority leader.
Mr McConnell said preliminary discussions on an investigation have started. Leaders of the House Appropriations Committee said Thursday that they would probe the security failures.
“Yesterday represented a massive failure of institutions, protocols, and planning that are supposed to protect the first branch of our federal government. A painstaking investigation and thorough review must now take place and significant changes must follow,” Mr. McConnell said.
“The ultimate blame for yesterday lies with the unhinged criminals who broke down doors, trampled our nation’s flag, fought with law enforcement, and tried to disrupt our democracy, and with those who incited them,” he said.
Capitol police said in a statement on Thursday that they would review the attack.
Wall St Journal
Anne Barrowclough 6.15am: Darkest day of our nation: Biden
Joe Biden has used an address introducing his pick as Attorney-General to attack yesterday’s rioters and give Donald Trump’s presidency a scorching critique.
Looking tired, the President-elect denounced the protesters as “a riotous mob. Insurrectionists, domestic terrorists.”
“Don’t you dare call them protesters,” he said, speaking in Wilmington Delaware.
“Yesterday was the darkest day of our nation. All of us grieve the loss of life, all of us grieve the desecration of the people’s house but what we witnessed yesterday was no dissent, or protest. It was chaos”
Introducing Judge Merrick Garland as his choice as Attorney-General, Mr Biden slammed Mr Trump’s use of the Department of Justice as his personal lawyers.
“The past four years we have had a president whose contempt for democracy, for the rule of law is clear in all he has done,”
he said.
“More than anything, we need to restore the honour and integrity of the department (of justice).”
Speaking directly to his appointee, he said: “You won’t work for me. You are not the president’s or of the Vice-President’s lawyer. Your loyalty is not to me It is to the people of this nation.”
Mr Biden also appointed Lisa Monaco as deputy Attorney-General.
Ted Mann 5.50am: McConnell wife quits Cabinet post over riots
Mitch McConnell’s wife Elaine Chao said Thursday she is resigning as Transportation Secretary effecting January 11, citing the “entirely avoidable” storming of the Capitol building by pro-Trump supporters.
She becomes the first member of the cabinet to announce their departure following the rioting that shook Washington.
“Yesterday our country experienced a traumatic and entirely avoidable event as supporters of the president stormed the Capitol building following a rally he addressed. As I’m sure is the case with many of you, it has deeply troubled me in a way that I simply cannot set aside.”
Ms Chao, a veteran of four Republican administrations, has led the DOT for all of Mr. Trump’s term, and had initially been expected to stay on through Jan. 20.
Ms Chao is married to Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate majority leader, and has remained in the Trump administration through previous periods of turmoil, including the president’s sharp criticism of her husband and remarks praising racist protesters in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017.
Before serving in the Trump administration, Ms. Chao served as labour secretary for all eight years of President George W. Bush’s two terms, and in positions in the DOT under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.
The Wall St Journal
Agencies 5.45am: Senior Trump figure quits: I can’t stay here’
Mick Mulvaney, a former chief of staff in Donald Trump’s White House, announced on Thursday he has quit his diplomatic post to protest mob violence by the president’s supporters at the Capitol.
“I can’t stay here, not after yesterday. You can’t look at that yesterday and think I want to be a part of that in any way, shape or form,” Mr Mulvaney told CNBC television.
Mr Mulvaney, who had been moved from chief of staff to special envoy for Northern Ireland, said he told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo he was resigning.
“I can’t do it. I can’t stay,” he told CNBC, indicating that other White House staff were eyeing the exits.
“Those who choose to stay, and I have talked with some of them, are choosing to stay because they’re worried the president might put someone worse in,” he said.
On Wednesday, thousands of Trump supporters left a rally with the president, then stormed into congress, temporarily halting proceedings to certify Democrat Joe Biden as the winner of the November presidential election.
Immediately after the violence, which Mr Trump has still failed to condemn, deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger resigned.
Another departure was Stephanie Grisham, a former White House press secretary now working as spokeswoman for First Lady Melania Trump.
Cameron Stewart 5.40am: Cry of revolt in halls of power
The Donald Trump supporter with bullhorns on his head was standing near the White House yelling “This is our 1776, baby”, referring to the year of America’s independence.
I snapped a photo of him as the President nearby was urging thousands of protesters to march on congress to “stop the steal’’ of Joe Biden’s election win.
A few hours later, that same man with horns could be seen roaming the Capitol Building and standing at Vice-President Mike Pence’s chair in the Senate.
By that stage Americans were in disbelief as they watched their own congress being overrun in what former Washington police chief Charles Ramsey said was “as close to a coup attempt as this country has ever seen”.
At Trump’s urging, thousands of his supporters — spurred on by his fiery claims about the “rigged election” — did not just march to the Capitol but crashed through its doors and into its hallowed chambers. Some used ropes and makeshift ladders to climb the walls to get into the building. Others stood outside, singing the national anthem.
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Aruna Viswanatha 5.30am: Rioters ‘maced’ cops to enter Capitol
Federal authorities had planned to deal with protests this week with a relatively small, minimally visible presence, according to law-enforcement officials, hoping to avoid inflaming tensions as a show of force had done during unrest last year in Portland, Oregon, and other cities.
That approach seemed to have backfired on Wednesday, when thousands of pro-Trump rioters surrounded the US Capitol and some easily breached the barricades and stormed the building, with one woman fatally shot by Capitol Police, according to law-enforcement officials, and other people injured. Some fired what the city’s police chief described as “chemical irritants” at officers who were guarding the complex to gain access to the building.
The small group of Capitol Police officers guarding the building as politicians began a joint session of Congress to count the 2020 electoral votes was quickly outnumbered as rioters approached the building. Once inside, they broke into politicians’ offices and roamed freely.
Officials said they had expected a repeat of relatively minor scuffles between far-right and far-left factions that broke out after dark at similar protests in November.
“The Capitol Police were unprepared for the sheer size of the protest,” said David Gomez, a retired FBI executive. Once the rioters barged into the Capitol, other federal law enforcement agencies were slow to respond, either out of deference to President Trump or because of a lack of experience with dealing with riots, which isn’t their primary mission, Mr Gomez said. “Up until they breached the Capitol, the possibility existed that it was going to be a large protest that didn’t cross those barricades. Once they did that (law enforcement personnel) were overwhelmed and couldn’t respond quickly enough,” he said.
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