Aside from the electoral effects of Wednesday’s violence on Capitol Hill, lawmakers have questioned how a lapse in security could happen. Meanwhile, Trump’s concession of the election was released on Twitter, still receiving criticism from mainstream media.
Summary
In a video message on Twitter after his account was unlocked, President Trump conceded defeat to Joe Biden and committed to a “smooth, orderly, and seamless transition of power” while calling for calm and reconciliation.
- Following Wednesday’s riots on Capitol Hill and Trump’s alleged incitement of the chaos, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for Vice President Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment which allows the Vice President and the Cabinet to declare the President unable to fulfill his duties. House Democrats said they will begin impeachment proceedings if Pence does not.
- Meanwhile, Capitol Police reported one officer, Brian Sicknick, succumbed to injuries from the melee and died Thursday evening while the FBI is offering a reward for information on a suspect who placed pipe bombs at the Republican and Democratic party headquarters.
- The assault on the Capitol building resulted in scaling down plans for the January 20th inauguration, including a curfew and a smaller crowd size.
- AP reported Capitol Police declined assistance from the Pentagon before and during the attack on Capitol Hill.
- Members of the House and Senate, both Republicans and Democrats, are calling for an investigation and personnel changes within the Capitol Police Department after what many consider a massive security failure while both the Senate and House sergeant-at-arms have been relieved of duty.
- Those calls for personnel changes prompted the Capitol Police Chief to resign on Thursday evening.
- Wednesday’s Capitol chaos and the questions about President Trump’s role in stoking it led Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to resign from the Trump Administration, which prompted a reaction from progressive “Squad” member Representative Ayanna Pressley, saying “they’re resigning to avoid invoking the 25thamendment.”
- CNN’s analysis of recent events characterized Trump’s statement as a “desperate attempt to salvage his fast-declining political position” while also reporting President-elect Biden is not in favor of Pelosi’s push for impeachment.
- The New York Times’ reporting on Trump’s response on Twitter framed it as a reluctant move in which Trump was warned of legal liability in his role for the Capitol Hill assault and that he “did not give up on his false claims of election fraud.”
- In reporting on Trump’s concession, Huffington Post characterized the President as “increasingly isolated” and “lashing out at Pence and others who dare to cross him.”
- The Wall Street Journal’s reporting spent little time on Trump’s concession but emphasized the growing number of resignations and increasing outrage from Democrats while the Editorial Board urged the President to resign rather than put the nation through another impeachment.
- Fox News’ reporting on Trump’s concession strictly focused on his remarks while a separate report noted criticism of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris for their double standard between the Capitol riot and the antifa and Black Lives Matters riots that engulfed several major cities last year.
- The New York Post’s Editorial Board similarly ripped Biden for the different reactions compared to the BLM and antifa rioters, whom the Editorial Board said were “coddled” by liberal politicians.
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© Dallas Gerber, 2021
