By ZEKE MILLER and JILL COLVIN
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump appears to have apologized for the violent occupation of the US Capitol by his supporters on Wednesday, hours after storming the symbol of US democracy in an attempt to disrupt the formalization of his election defeat.
Trump, who encouraged his supporters to step up to the Capitol to protest lawmakers’ actions, expressed empathy for the mob, which forcibly forced inside, clashed with police and forced lawmakers to hide.
“These are the things and events that happen when a sacred, overwhelming election victory is so unceremoniously and maliciously carried away from great patriots who have been treated badly and unfairly for so long,” Trump wrote in a message later removed by Twitter. He added: ‘Go home with love and in peace. Remember this day forever! ”
In an earlier video, he praised the protesters as ‘special’ people and said he understood their pain. Twitter later closed its account for the first time because it demanded that it remove the tweets and threaten ‘permanent suspension’.
Trump’s response to the violence underscores his obsession with trying to overthrow the election result. He spends the last days of his presidency angry at striking and tackling Republicans for alleged infidelity.
Trump watched much of the uprising on television from his private dining room outside the Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon. But apart from the tremendous appeals for calm issued at the insistence of his staff, he was largely disconnected because the capital of the country descended into unprecedented scenes of chaos as a crowd of thousands tried to stop the peaceful transition of power.
Instead, a White House official said most of Trump’s attention was consumed by his anger at Vice President Mike Pence, who said he would not overthrow the will of voters in the congressional election. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke only on the condition of anonymity.
The violence, coupled with the president’s lukewarm response, has apparently driven many Republicans to the breaking point after years of loyalty to Trump. According to people familiar with the conversation, a number of White House staffers were talking about a possible mass resignation, although some had concerns about what Trump would have done in his last two weeks in office if they had not been there . serve as a backrest when there is so little left.
After four years without a lack of charged moments, Wednesday’s events quickly emerged as the moral of the morale in the Trump White House, while assistants watched in horror as the chaos at the Capitol was forced by Trump.
Stephanie Grisham, the chief of staff of the first lady and a former White House press secretary, submitted her resignation on Wednesday, but declined to say what prompted her move. White House Social Secretary Rickie Niceta and Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews also resigned. More departures are expected in the coming days, officials said. But other aides have indicated they remain happy to help ease the transition to President Biden’s administration.
Trump has been stubbornly concentrating on his election defeat since election day, at the expense of the other responsibilities of his office, including the fight against the raging coronavirus. It was indeed Pence, not Trump, who spoke to the acting secretary of defense on Wednesday afternoon to mobilize the DC National Guard.
Trump just reluctantly issued the tweets and recorded a video encouraging the end of the violence. According to the official, the persons came at the insistence of the staff and amid increasing criticism from the Republican legislators requesting him to condemn the violence.
And even as authorities struggled to take control of Capitol Hill after protesters overwhelmed police, Trump still raised unsubstantiated allegations of mass voter fraud, praising his loyalists as “very special.”
“I know your pain. I know you hurt. But you have to go home now, ‘he said in a video posted more than 90 minutes after lawmakers were evacuated from the chamber and the Senate. “We can not play into the hands of these people. We must have peace. So go home. We love you. You are very special. ‘
Hours earlier, Trump had appeared at a massive rally near the White House, where he continued to urge supporters to fight the election results and encouraged them to march to the Capitol in remarks peppered with arson and full of violent undertones. At one point, he even suggested that he join them – a prospect discussed by the White House but eventually abandoned.
“We are going to walk through Pennsylvania Avenue … and we are going to the Capitol … we are going to try to give our Republicans … the pride and boldness they need to take back our country,” he said.
Earlier in the protest, his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, advocated what he called “trial by fight”.
Trump’s tweets and video also draw the attention of the giants on social media, which he has regularly vilified. The video was removed by Facebook, “because we believe it contributes to rather reducing the risk of ongoing violence,” Guy Rosen said. Twitter took a punitive approach and blocked Trump’s account, warning: “Future violations of Twitter rules, including our policies on civil integrity or violent threats, will result in the permanent suspension of the @realDonaldTrump account.”
Before Trump released the video, Republican lawmakers and former administration officials begged the president to intervene while the violence was taking place.
“I called him. “I think we need to make a statement, make sure we can calm individuals down,” GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California told Fox News.
A Senate ally, Republican Marco Rubio of Florida, in a tweet directly appealed to the president: “Mr. President @realDonaldTrump the men and women of law enforcement are assaulted. It is crucial that you help restore order by sending resources to help the police and asking those who do to stand up. ”
Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., Posted a video message urging Trump to “shout it out.”
“This is the banana republic we are watching now,” said Gallagher, who spoke out against fellow Republicans’ objections to the Electoral College confirming that Biden had won.
Former White House staff has also filed pleas.
“Condemn it now, @realDonaldTrump – you’re the only one they’ll listen to,” tweeted former White House director Alyssa Farah.
His former chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, added: “The best thing @realDonaldTrump can do now is address the country from the Oval Office and condemn the riots. A peaceful transition of power is essential for the country and should take place at 1/20. ”
Pence, who was led from the Senate chamber to a safe place when protesters broke into the building, also demanded that protesters disperse.
“The violence and destruction that is taking place at the American Capitol must stop and it must stop now,” he tweeted. “Everyone involved must respect law enforcement and leave the building immediately.”
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Associated Press authors Alexandra Jaffe and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.