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| The president's image is seen on large television screens at the rally not far from the White House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. Associated Press |
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Trump calls his Capitol mob 'GREAT PATRIOTS' and claims they rioted because election was 'viciously stolen'
Daily Mail
Wed Jan 6, 2021
Category: Crime
Area: Washington, DC (Hagerstown)
President Donald Trump continued his series of mixed messages as the law enforcement officials cleared the Capitol building of his mob of supporters who disrupted the congressional certification of Joe Biden's victory.
Trump issued his fourth tweet on the matter Wednesday evening after telling supporters he 'loves' them in a video message that also urged them to go home.
That message came after the president's earlier tweets didn't tell the mob to leave Capitol Hill only to be peaceful. In a rally before the insurrection began, Trump told his MAGA crowd to march on the Capitol and had suggested he would join them.
He threw more fuel on the fire Wednesday night with a tweet that said of the attack on the Capitol, these things 'happen' when an election is stolen.
'These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!,' he wrote.
The election wasn't stolen or fraudulent. Biden won the electoral college vote and the popular vote. Congress was set to certify his win before their session was interrupted by the Trump supporting mob, who broke into the Capitol building waving Trump flags and touting a Trump victory.
Twitter flagged Trump's claim, as it has flagged his previous false claims on the election outcome, before deleting Trump�s tweet entirely that essentially excused the behavior of the insurgents and the president�s video message that in addition to telling the mob to go home repeated his false claim he won the election.
It came after some Republicans said the president's video message wasn't strong enough and should have more strongly condemned the insurrection.
As the president faced criticism, Vice President Mike Pence was being praised.
Trump's own National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien tweeted at 6 p.m.: 'I just spoke with Vice President Pence. He is a genuinely fine and decent man. He exhibited courage today as he did at the Capitol on 9/11 as a Congressman. I am proud to serve with him.'
Pence, who presides over the joint session that certifies the election, said earlier in the day he would not heed to Trump's demand he declare the election invalid.
Trump ordered National Guard and federal forces to deploy to the Capitol after his supporters overran U.S. Capitol Police and gained illegal entry into the building Wednesday.
The building had been overrun for more than an hour Wednesday when White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany made the announcement on Twitter.
'At President @realDonaldTrump's direction, the National Guard is on the way along with other federal protective services. We reiterate President Trump's call against violence and to remain peaceful,' she wrote.
A mob of his angry supporters had breached the building and even entered the House and Senate chambers.
The Senate was evacuated at 2.30pm.
There are more than 2,000 Capitol Police officers with special jurisdiction on Capitol Grounds. But they were overrun as protesters smashed through a window and penetrated the building.
Capitol Police were seen absorbing violent lunges by Trump supporters on the first floor of the Capitol building.
Police from neighboring Montgomery County, Maryland were also rushed to the Capitol vicinity, CNN reported.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser had already mobilized National Guard troops in advance of the pro-Trump rally billed as a 'stop the steal event' - although it coincided with the effort proscribed in law for Congress to count the votes of the Electoral College.
The entire D.C. National Guard was to be activated within hours, the Washington Post reported, after Bowser asked on duty guard to be sent to the Capitol.
Bowser also imposed a 6 pm curfew for Washington.
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