Trump, Pence call on protesters to refrain from violence

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 06: A protester holds a Trump flag inside the US Capitol Building near the Senate Chamber on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. A group of Republican senators said they would reject the Electoral College votes of several states unless Congress appointed a commission to audit the election results. Win McNamee/Getty Images/AFP

 

WASHINGTON (Eagle News) — As protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol, President Donald J. Trump took to twitter asking protesters to remain peaceful.

“I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful,” Trump tweeted. “No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!”

Vice President Mike Pence also used Twitter to try to pacify the tense situation.

“The violence and destruction taking place at the US Capitol Must Stop and it Must Stop Now,” Pence said in a tweet.

“Anyone involved must respect Law Enforcement officers and immediately leave the building.

“Peaceful protest is the right of every American but this attack on our Capitol will not be tolerated and those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Earlier in the day Trump stood before his supporters and continued his unsubstantiated claims of a rigged election, claiming that we won the 2020 election with a larger margin than his 2016 election victory.

Trump also called on Pence to reject the votes of the electoral college and send them back to the states. Pence, though, announced it was not in his authority to do such a thing.

This drew the ire of the president and he took again to Twitter to express his disappointment in Pence.

“Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify,” Trump tweeted.

 

Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they storm the US Capitol in Washington D.C on January 6, 2021. Demonstrators breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the a 2020 presidential election Electoral Vote Certification.
ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP

 

(Eagle News Service)