White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday tried to distance President Donald Trump’s government from Capitol riots, although the president encouraged his followers to move into the building the day before.
“Those who have violently besieged our capitol are the opposite of everything that this administration represents,” McEnany said in a televised statement on Thursday afternoon. “The central value of our administration is the idea that all citizens have the right to live in security, peace and freedom.”
McEnany’s comments came after members of both parties strongly denounced Trump for inciting the violent protesters who invaded the Capitol on Wednesday. Members of Congress and the Trump Cabinet expressed their dissatisfaction calling for the removal of the president from office through impeachment or the 25th Amendment. Several government officials, including Transport Secretary Elaine Chao, have resigned. Trump was also barred from posting on a number of social media platforms after they determined that his messages during and after the invasion encouraged further violence.