President Trump says ‘those who broke the law will pay’
Jan 7, 2021, 4:28 PM | Updated: 5:02 pm
The White House is lit at dusk on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. A pro-Trump mob entered the U.S. Capitol building after mass demonstrations in the nation's capital. (Photo by Joshua Roberts/Getty Images)
(Photo by Joshua Roberts/Getty Images)
Just after about 24 hours since his video sympathizing with supporters before asking them to go home in peace, President Trump released a message disapproving of Wednesday’s violence at the U.S. Capitol.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2021
In the video, Trump said, “Like all Americans, I’m outraged by the violence, lawlessness, and mayhem. I immediately deployed the National Guard and law enforcement to secure the building and expel the intruders. America is and must always be a nation of law and order.”
He said that those who acted with violence “do not represent our country and to those who broke the law, you will pay.”
President Trump also notably conceded to President-Elect Joe Biden, saying that Congress has certified the election results.
“A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly, and seamless transition of power. This moment calls for healing and reconciliation.”
Trump’s video was posted on Twitter, which suspended the president from posting on the platform for 24 hours due to violating its policies. Facebook and Instagram followed shortly after. On Thursday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the risk of allowing Trump to use the platform is too great following the president’s incitement of a mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol a day earlier. Zuckerberg said Trump’s account will be locked “for at least the next two weeks” and possibly indefinitely.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama called on both Twitter and Facebook to permanently ban Trump from their platforms.
“Now is the time for Silicon Valley companies to stop enabling this monstrous behavior — and go even further than they have already by permanently banning this man from their platforms and putting in place policies to prevent their technology from being used by the nation’s leaders to fuel insurrection,” Obama wrote in her statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
