Just one day after senior executives from asset management and other corporate leaders signed a letter to Congress demanding that lawmakers ratify the 2020 presidential election, they watched in horror as pro-Trump extremists, some armed, On Wednesday in the American Capitol an uprising carried out an unprecedented attack on American democracy.
Shocking images of the attack played out on television, showing rioters breaking windows and climbing through it to enter the Capitol building. Shots rang out on Capitol grounds, with one woman allegedly shot in the chest. She later died, according to a Washington Post report. Multiple police officers were injured in the fighting, according to CNN reports.
Members of Congress had to spend the day confirming the results of the 2020 presidential election, which Democrat Joe Biden won. President Donald Trump has been making false allegations for months that the outcome of the presidential election was fraudulent. The U.S. Supreme Court has twice refused to hear lawsuits to block the November 3 election. Vice President Mike Pence said earlier that he would not block the certification of Biden’s victory.
The normal pedestrian certification process has already promised to be different this time around, after a group of Republican lawmakers, including Senator Ted Cruz, said in a statement on January 2 that they intend to reject certain states’ voting votes unless Congress has created a commission to substantiate claims of voter fraud.
But the day took an explosive turn shortly after 2 p.m., when protesters stormed the Capitol building. Institutional investor journalists reached out to industry leaders to get a response to the chaos on Wednesday. Here’s what they said.
“I strongly condemn the violence at this time,” Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock, said in a statement. Institutional investor. “This is an attack on our people, our democracy and the will of the American people. The peaceful transfer of power is the foundation of our democracy. We are who we are as a nation because of our democratic institutions and process. ‘
David McCormick, chief executive of Bridgewater Associates and former secretary of state under President George W. Bush, said II: “I watch the violence in the country’s capital with disgust and sadness. The stormy wind of today’s Capitol is provocative and an attack on our most expensive national principles. Since George Washington’s resignation in 1797, the peaceful transfer of power has been a hallmark of our republic and a symbol of our freedom under the law. Today’s events show how vulnerable the sacred tradition is. ”
He goes on to say, ‘Abraham Lincoln once remarked that if we commit ourselves to maintaining the great American experiment,’ every effort and futile effort will be to undermine our national freedom. ‘ We all bear the responsibility to ensure that this remains true. It is on the shoulders of us all to forge a better nation, to respect and uphold the law, and to preserve and renew the bonds that hold us together. This duty, not only for our public officials but also for all Americans, lies ahead on this day.
Goldman Sachs chairman and CEO David Solomon showed a similar gloomy tone in his statement II. ‘Our democracy has for years built a reserve of goodwill around the world that holds important benefits for our citizens. “Recently, we have squandered benevolence at an alarming rate, and today’s attack on the American Capitol is causing further damage,” he said. “It is time for all Americans to come together and continue a peaceful transition of power. We need to start reinvesting in our democracy and building the institutions that have made America an exceptional nation. ‘
George Walker, chairman and CEO of Neuberger Berman, said II: “Like other CEOs, I have been doing everything in our power for months to demand a smooth transition of power. The events of today are heartbreaking, but unfortunately not surprising. ”
Emmanuel Roman, CEO of PIMCO, and Chief Investment Officer Dan Ivascyn said in a statement to II“We are upset and saddened by the images of the current events at the Capitol, which are an attack on our institutions and the values of democracy that guide us. However, we are also confident that the strength of these institutions and the goodwill of our elected leaders will ensure that the nation continues its legal transition to new leadership. ”
Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, said: ‘I strongly condemn the violence in our country’s capital. It is not who we are as a people or a country. We’re better than that. Our elected leaders have the responsibility to put an end to the violence, to accept the results and, as our democracy has been for hundreds of years, to support the peaceful transition of power. Now is the time to come together to strengthen our extraordinary union. ”
Citi CEO Michael Corbat said in a statement II“I am disgusted by the actions of those who stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to disrupt the Electoral College certification, a process mandated by our Constitution as part of our practice of peaceful transfer of power between presidents. As one of America’s oldest companies, we have seen our country experience other difficult events. Although these scenes are very difficult to watch, I trust in our democratic process and I know that the important work of Congress will continue and that people will be held accountable for their actions. I pray that this situation can be resolved without further bloodshed. ”
Carlyle Group CEO Kewsong Lee also condemned the attack. “I condemn the chaos and illegal behavior seen in our capital today,” he said in a statement. ‘It is deeply disturbing after the controversial and bitter electoral process that is pressing us all terribly. Our country is better than that, and deserves better than that. It was a constructive and peaceful presidential transition today, and we must continue to repair the damage done to our social structure and democracy. In such a polarized and divisive world, we must ground ourselves in the basic premise that we have much more in common than not, and in the simple truth that we must respect each other, even if we do not share the same view. ”
Cliff Asness, co-founder and CIO of AQR Capital Management, was straightforward when he made contact II: “The president inciting it is outrageous and the protesters must be stopped or stopped.”
Muddy Waters Capital Management founder Carson Block – a more colorful, if less influential, asset manager – presented the most unequivocal assessment of the day’s events.
“I am not surprised to see that there has been violence,” he said. II. ‘It has, of course, been hotly contested by the former president over the past few days [National Security Adviser] Mike Flynn, and then [Trump lawyer Rudy] Guiliani calls for fighting during the DC protest. I’m sure this is far from the end of the kind of violence and trouble we’re going to see in this country if we do not have jurisdiction over this right-wing authoritarianism that is really rising … It’s just disgusting —— people . ”
—Michelle Celarier, Christine Idzelis, Kip McDaniel, Alicia McElhaney, Julie Segal, and Amy Whyte contributed to this report.