WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump first acknowledged his defeat in the November 3 election and announced an “orderly transition on January 20” after Congress completed the electoral vote count Thursday asked the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.
Trump’s recognition came after a day of chaos and destruction on Capitol Hill as a crowd of its supporters stormed the Capitol, unleashing unprecedented scenes of chaos as it attempted to stop the peaceful transfer of power. Members of Congress were forced into hiding, offices were looted, and formal Congress was shut down for more than six hours.
“Although I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts confirm me, there will be an orderly transition on January 20,” Trump said in a statement on Twitter by his social media director. His own account had been blocked by the company for posting messages that seemed to justify the attack on the country’s seat of democracy.
Trump added, “While this marks the end of the best first term in presidential history, it is only the beginning of our fight to make America great again!”
The statement marked the first time Trump formally acknowledged his loss after refusing to admit the past two months and making unfounded allegations. of widespread voter fraud, although his own Justice Department, federal courts and state governments have repeatedly said the vote was free and fair.
Trump’s refusal to accept reality and his inflammatory rhetoric hit a breaking point on Wednesday when his supporters forcibly occupied the Capitol in one of its most shocking scenes ever unfold in a seat of American political power. Authorities said four people died in the violence, including a woman who was shot by an officer outside the house’s room.
Trump had encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol to protest the actions of the lawmakers, and later seemed to excuse the mob’s violent occupation, which forced their way in and collided with police.
“These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously and viciously stripped of great patriots who have been treated badly and unfairly for so long,” Trump wrote in a post later deleted by Twitter. He added, “Go home with love and in peace. Remember this day forever! “
Trump’s response to the violence underscored his months-long obsession with reversing the election results. He has angrily spent the last days of his presidency stewing and lashing out at Republicans for alleged infidelity while refusing to acknowledge or admit his loss.
Trump’s statement could not be posted on his Twitter or Facebook feeds as both accounts had been blocked from posting.
Trump spent much of Wednesday afternoon watching the uprising on television from his private dining room at the Oval Office. But aside from sparing calls for calm at the insistence of his staff, he was largely disconnected. Instead, a White House official said, most of Trump’s attention was consumed by his anger at Vice President Mike Pence, who defied Trump’s demands. by recognizing that he did not have the power to elect the next president indefinitely. The officer was not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke only on condition of anonymity.
Trump only reluctantly sent out the tweets and recorded a video encouraging the violence to end. The posts came at the urging of staff and under growing criticism from Republican lawmakers urging him to condemn the violence perpetrated in his name, the official said.
And even as authorities struggled to take control of Capitol Hill after protesters overwhelmed police, Trump continued to make unfounded allegations of massive voter fraud, praising his loyalists as “ very special. ”
‘I know your pain. I know you are hurt. But you have to go home now, ”he said in a video taken more than 90 minutes after lawmakers were evacuated from the House and Senate chambers. “We cannot play into the hands of these people. We need peace. So go home. We love you. You are very special. “
The violence, coupled with the president’s lukewarm response, troubled many in the White House and seemed to push Republicans’ allies to breaking point after years of loyalty to Trump. After four years with no shortage of fraught moments, Wednesday’s events quickly emerged as the low point of morale in the Trump White House as aides watched in horror at the Capitol chaos that had sparked Trump.
According to people familiar with the conversation, a number of White House employees were discussing a possible mass layoff. And others quickly left.
Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s chief of staff and former White House press secretary, resigned on Wednesday. Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger, White House Social Secretary Rickie Niceta and Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews also resigned, officials said. More departures are expected in the coming days, officials said.
Other assistants indicated that they intended to stay in order to ease the transition to Biden’s administration. And some were concerned about what Trump might do in his last two weeks in office if they weren’t there to serve as a guardrail when so few remain.
Trump’s reluctance to acknowledge defeat came after even longtime allies said whether members of his cabinet should invoke the 25th Amendment and remove him from office. Former New Jersey administration Chris Christie told ABC late Wednesday that “responsible cabinet members” should think about fulfilling their oath of office, adding that Trump “violated his oath and betrayed the American people.”
Discussions of expulsion took place between administrative aides and Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill, according to people involved in the deliberations, but there did not appear to be any serious discussion about doing so by his cabinet, a majority of whom should vote to support him. to put aside.
Trump has been resolutely focused on his electoral defeat since election day, aides said, at the expense of his office’s other responsibilities, including fighting the raging coronavirus. Indeed, it was Pence, not Trump, who spoke with the acting Secretary of Defense on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the mobilization of the DC National Guard.
On Wednesday, Trump effectively banned Pence’s chief of staff, Marc Short, from the White House, an official said, believing he was the driving force behind Pence’s refusal to overturn the vote.
Hours earlier, Trump had appeared at a massive rally at the White House, where he continued to urge supporters to fight the election results and encourage them to march to the Capitol in comments laced with inflammatory language and violent undertones. At one point, he even suggested he join them – a prospect debated by the White House but eventually abandoned.
“We’re going to the Capitol,” he said. “We’re going to try to give our Republicans … the kind of pride and courage they need to take our country back.”
Earlier at the meeting, his attorney, Rudy Giuliani, had advocated what he called ‘trial by combat’.
As the violence raged, Republican lawmakers and former government officials had begged Trump to tell his supporters to resign.