The typical Republican leader of the Senate rarely broke away from Trump in his four years as president. But he led the Senate’s certification of the presidential election that the rioters promised to overthrow, and strongly condemned the violence at the Capitol in which he served as senator for 36 years.
“The mob is being lied to,” McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, said on the Senate floor. “They were provoked by the president and other powerful people.”
“We will have a safe and successful inauguration here in front of the Capitol,” McConnell said.
McConnell’s comments come as the Senate prepares to hold an indictment on the House’s charge of ‘incitement to rebellion’. McConnell said Tuesday that the Senate has received a message from the House that Trump has been charged, but noted that the House has not yet forwarded the article to the Senate.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has pleaded guilty to failing to run for office.
“We need to set a precedent that the most serious offense ever committed by a president will be aided by the most severe solution offered by the Constitution – accusation and conviction by this chamber, as well as dismissal from the future office,” Schumer said.
McConnell on Tuesday argued that Congress, despite the January 6 riots, had fulfilled its duty and confirmed the victory of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris.
“We will have a safe and successful inauguration here in front of the Capitol,” McConnell said.
McConnell said Congress will soon be campaigning for the American people, claiming that no party has a broad mandate after the 2020 election, which the Republican-led White House and Senate have handed over to the Democrats.
“The election in November certainly did not give a mandate for the comprehensive ideological change,” McConnell said. “Americans prefer a narrowly divided Senate, a narrowly divided House and a presidential candidate who has said he will represent everyone.”
“So our instructions from the American people are clear,” McConnell said. “We need to have a solid discussion and seek common ground. We need to pursue dual agreements wherever we can, and respectfully control and balance each other, where we need to.”
This story was updated on Tuesday with additional developments.