By ZEKE MILLER and JILL COLVIN
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump appeared to condone the violent occupation of the United States Capitol by his supporters on Wednesday, hours after they invaded the symbol of American democracy in an effort to stop the formalization of his electoral defeat.
Trump, who encouraged his supporters to march on Capitol Hill to protest the actions of lawmakers, expressed empathy for the crowd, who violently forced their way in, clashed with the police and forced lawmakers into hiding.
“These are the things and events that happen when an overwhelming and sacred electoral victory is so unceremoniously and cruelly withdrawn from great patriots who have been ill and unfairly treated for so long,” wrote Trump in a message that was later deleted on Twitter. He added: “Go home with love and in peace. Remember this day forever! “
In a previous video, he praised the protesters as “special” people and said he understood their pain. Later, Twitter blocked his account for the first time as it required him to remove tweets and threatened with “permanent suspension”.
Trump’s response to the violence underscored his obsession with trying to overturn the election results. He is spending the last days of his presidency cracking down and attacking Republicans for his alleged disloyalty.
Trump spent much of Wednesday afternoon watching the uprising on television from his private dining room in the Oval Office. But in addition to saving appeals for calm issued at the insistence of his team, he was largely shut down as the country’s capital plunged into scenes of unprecedented chaos, while a crowd of thousands tried to prevent the peaceful transition of power.
Instead, a White House official said, most of Trump’s attention was consumed by his ire at Vice President Mike Pence, who said he would not change voters ‘will in Congress’ electoral count. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke only on condition of anonymity.
The violence, coupled with the president’s lukewarm response, seemed to push many Republicans to the breaking point after years of loyalty to Trump. In a sign of growing frustration, several White House advisers were discussing a possible mass resignation, according to people familiar with the conversation, although some nurtured concerns about what Trump might do in his last two weeks in office if they were not there to serve as guardrails when few remain.
After four years with no shortage of tense moments, Wednesday’s events quickly emerged as the morale nadir at Trump’s White House, while advisers stared in horror at the chaos on Trump’s fomented Capitol Hill.
Stephanie Grisham, chief of staff of the first lady and former press secretary of the White House, presented her resignation on Wednesday, but did not say what motivated her. White House social secretary Rickie Niceta and deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews also resigned. More departures are expected in the coming days, officials said. But other advisers indicated they would remain to help smooth the transition to President-elect Biden’s administration.
Trump has focused exclusively on his electoral defeat since election day, advisers said, at the expense of other responsibilities in his office, including the fight against the violent coronavirus. In fact, it was Pence, not Trump, who spoke to the interim defense secretary to discuss the mobilization of the DC National Guard on Wednesday afternoon.
Trump reluctantly tweeted and recorded a video encouraging an end to the violence. The posts were made at the team’s insistence and amid growing criticism from Republican lawmakers who urged him to condemn the violence perpetrated on his behalf, according to the official.
And even as authorities struggled to take control of the Capitol after the protesters overpowered the police, Trump continued to make unfounded accusations of mass electoral fraud and praised his supporters as “very special”.
“I know your pain. I know you are hurt. But you have to go home now, ”he said in a video posted more than 90 minutes after lawmakers were evacuated from the House and Senate chambers. “We cannot play these people’s game. We need to have peace. Then go home. We love you. You are very special. “
Hours earlier, Trump had appeared at a massive rally near the White House, where he continued to urge supporters to fight the election results and encouraged them to march to the Capitol in comments that were spiced with incendiary language and filled with violent tones. At one point, he even suggested he could join them – a perspective that was discussed by the White House, but ended up being abandoned.
“We are going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue … and we are going to the Capitol … we are going to try to give our Republicans … the kind of pride and boldness they need to retake our country,” he said.
At the beginning of the demonstration, his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, had defended what he called “trial by combat”.
Trump’s tweets and video also caught the eye of the social media giants he often defamed. The video was removed by Facebook, “because, in general, we believe that it contributes instead of decreasing the risk of continued violence,” said the site’s chief integrity, Guy Rosen. Twitter took a more punitive approach, blocking Trump’s account and warning: “Future violations of the Twitter Rules, including our Civic Integrity or Violent Threats policies, will result in the permanent suspension of the @realDonaldTrump account.”
Before Trump released the video, Republican lawmakers and former government officials pleaded with the president to intervene as the violence escalated.
“I called him. I think we need to make a statement, make sure we can calm people down,” California Republican Party leader Kevin McCarthy told Fox News.
A Senate ally, Republican Marco Rubio, from Florida, directly appealed to the president in a tweet: “Mr. President @realDonaldTrump, the law enforcement men and women are being attacked. It is crucial that you help restore order by sending resources to help the police and asking those who are doing so to withdraw. “
Congressman Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., Posted a video message urging Trump to “cancel”.
“This sucks for the banana republic we’re watching right now,” said Gallagher, who spoke out against other Republicans’ objections to Biden’s election vote certification.
Former White House officials have also made appeals.
“Damn it now, @realDonaldTrump – you are the only one they will hear,” tweeted former White House communications director Alyssa Farah.
Added his former chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney: “The best thing @realDonaldTrump could do now is to address the nation in the Oval Office and condemn the riots. A peaceful transition of power is essential for the country and is expected to take place on 1/20. “
Pence, who was ushered out of the Senate chamber to safety while protesters stormed the building, also called for protesters to disperse.
“The violence and destruction that is taking place on the United States Capitol must stop and must stop now,” he tweeted. “Everyone involved must respect the police and leave the building immediately.”
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Associated Press writers Alexandra Jaffe and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.