Many political figures (Democrats and Republicans) have openly condemned that a group of Trump supporters violently stormed the Capitol in middle of the session to confirm the victory of Joe Biden in the presidential election of 2020. Some have even accused the outgoing president of inciting riots and have blamed him for the episode that took place in Washington and that cost at least one woman her life .
Republicans who accuse Trump as instigator
The Republican senator Mitt Romney , very critical of Trump and the the only one who voted in favor of the impeachment , condemned the president on Wednesday night and pointed it out as directly responsible for the violence that interrupted the electoral vote count in Congress.
“What happened here today was an i nsurrection incited by the president of the United States , ”Romney said in a statement. “Those who choose to continue supporting his dangerous tactic and objecting to the results of legitimate and democratic elections will forever be seen as accomplices in an unprecedented attack on our democracy,”
Republican Senator Richard Burr from North Carolina joined the Condemnation of his partner and said in a statement that “Trump is responsible for what happened today by promoting unfounded conspiracy theories that have led to this point. It is time to accept the will of the voters and allow our nation to move forward. ”
George W. Bush, the former president Most recent Republican , he did not directly mention Donald Trump but was tough on the kind of attacks that the president and other Republicans have made on the elections 2020.
“I am dismayed by the reckless behavior of some political leaders since the elections and for the lack of respect shown today by our institutions, our traditions and our public order, ”Bush wrote in a statement. “This is how the results are disputed in a banana republic not in a democratic republic,” he added about the unsubstantiated attacks on the vote count.
Trump allies condemning the violence
Two of the Trump heavyweights – his Vice President Mike Pence and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell – were also tough on the Capitol attack, though they didn’t criticize Trump.
“To those who unleashed chaos in our Capitol today: you have not won. Violence never wins . Freedom always wins. And this is still the people’s house, ”said Pence , second in command of the Trump Administration in these four years.
For his part, McConnell assured that the Senate would not be “intimidated” and that he would fulfill “tonight” his task of validating the result of the elections. “This failed insurrection only underscores how crucial the task that brings us together here is to our republic,” said the Republican senator.
Lindsey Graham, another Republican senator who has fervently supported Trump, defended this Wednesday after the riots the importance of certifying Biden’s victory with very strong words: “ finished . [Biden] won. He is the legitimate president of the United States . Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were legally elected and will serve as President and Vice President of the United States on 20. ”
Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler , who lost Tuesday’s election, said she changed her decision at the last minute and did not vote to object to Biden’s victory in Arizona . As she herself said in Congress, the events of the day had made her change her mind.
Accusations of the Democrats
“History will correctly recall the violence today in the Capitol incited by the acting president , that the lie about the legal electoral result has continued without foundation, as a moment of great dishonor and shame for our nation, “said former president Barack Obama in clear reference to Trump.
Also former president Bill Clinton denounced the violence in the US Capitol and pointed to Trump head-on: “The assault was fueled by more than four years of poisoning policies that spread deliberate misinformation, sowed mistrust in our system, and confronted Americans among themselves. ”
A similar idea defended Chuck Schumer , Republican leader not in the Senate that told Trump on Twitter that it was “too late” to ask his followers to be peaceful when they had already broken into the Capitol. “What happened today did not happen spontaneously. The president who promoted conspiracy theories that motivated these thugs, this president bears much of the blame . This mob was largely the work of Trump, “he said.
Harder and more direct was the independent senator Bernie Sanders , who agreed with his partner Romney. “ The man directly responsible for today’s chaos is Donald Trump , who has made it clear that he will do anything to stay in power, including insurrection and incitement to violence, “he wrote in a tweet. “Trump will go down in history as the worst and most dangerous president,” he added.
Progressive Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asked even a “impeachment” of Trump . “We must focus on the task at hand: preserving the integrity of our democracy, holding those responsible for their attempts to subvert our nation’s elections and trashing our Constitution,” he said on Twitter.
Other members of Congress have also supported a impeachment against Trump. Progressive Representative Ilhan Omar said she is already writing the articles.