Some Republicans in Congress need to explain why they did not more strongly condemn President Donald Trump’s false claims before the riot at the US Capitol.
“I think the Republicans need to do a lot now to repair this offense,” Luntz said on Squawk Box. “They have a lot to do to explain why they did not stand up for the president, why these protests were allowed to get so out of control.”
The riots on Capitol Hill erupted on Wednesday afternoon after supporters of Trump came to Washington to finalize Congress on the outcome of the November presidential election. Trump encouraged the rally and tweeted about it for weeks, including one Dec. 19 message when he said the protest “will be wild.”
In a speech at the rally on Wednesday morning, Trump went on to campaign his unfounded statement that he would have defeated President-elect Joe Biden if it were not for widespread voter fraud. He again promised never to concede the election to Biden. “We’ll stop the stealing,” he said as he took the stage.
Although the trespass of Trump’s supporters of the American Capitol caused an hour-long halt in the finalization of the Electoral College, the House and Senate finally resumed their sessions to confirm Biden’s victory early Thursday morning. Some Republicans still objected to Biden’s victory in Arizona and Pennsylvania, but some GOP senators, such as Kelly Loeffler, who lost her seat in Georgia, reversed their position following the riots.
“It’s a bad time for this country. It’s a bad time for the people’s house. It’s a bad time for the Republican Party,” Luntz said. “This morning I know there are a lot of people with a lot of regrets on their hands, and hopefully the person who regrets it the most is the President of the United States.”
Shortly after Congress won Biden’s victory, Trump said in a statement that there would be an “orderly transition” of power. However, he again falsely stated that “the facts” falsely stated his claim that he had lost only because of major ballot box fraud against Biden.
Luntz warned about issues for the Republican Party even before supporters of Trump stormed the Capitol, causing its evacuation and the suspension of a constitutional mandate. On Tuesday, he said “the next 48 hours are going to be the worst for the IDP”, referring to the Senate by-elections in Georgia and the plans of some Republicans to object to the election college’s votes.
According to NBC News projections, both Democrats in Georgia will defeat their GOP opponents, giving the Democratic Party a majority in the Senate. “This is a lesson for the Republican Party on what is likely to come if they continue like this,” Luntz said Wednesday morning in response to Georgia’s results.
Luntz doubled his view on Thursday: “We have never seen a situation where Americans – Americans – attack their critical attitude, and I think it will have repercussions among swimming voters.”