Republican businessman Ken Langone on Wednesday exploded the Capitol rebellion, indicating on CNBC that he felt “betrayed” by President Donald Trump’s actions that led to deadly events.
“I think the biggest mistake anyone will make is trying to rationalize what happened last week, what the president did and what that crowd did,” said Langone in the Squawk Box. “There should be no mitigation. It was awful. It was wrong. I am shocked.”
Trump supporters overtook the United States Capitol exactly a week ago in an effort to prevent Congress from ending President-elect Joe Biden’s victory at the Electoral College. Trump’s incendiary rhetoric and repeated lies about widespread fraud in the November election helped irritate his supporters, and in a speech in Washington, the president encouraged supporters who gathered in the city to march to the Capitol.
“I feel betrayed,” said Langone, who has strongly supported Trump’s economic policies over the years, although he sometimes criticizes the president, as for his response to the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.
“Last Wednesday was a shame,” added Langone, the billionaire co-founder of Home Depot who has made donations to Republicans over the years. “It should never have happened in this country. If it didn’t break every American’s heart, something is wrong. It breaks my heart, for sure. I didn’t sign up for it.”
Langone, who serves as chairman of the board of NYU Langone Medical Center, asked Americans to join Biden and eliminate partisanship. “If there is a time in history when all Americans need to be patriots, it is that time,” he said.
“I will do everything I can from day one to make sure I do my part to make Joe Biden the most successful president in the history of this country,” said Langone. “There is a selfish reason for this, we have very serious problems in America to deal with,” such as the coronavirus pandemic and public education.
Langone’s comments come as the House of Representatives prepares to vote for Trump’s impeachment again, this time for his role in inciting the Capitol rebellion. The Democratic-led effort won the support of some Republican Party members, including Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming. She is the third Republican in the House.
“I don’t care” if Trump is impeached, Langone said. “All I care about is one thing: January 20, Joe Biden will be sworn in as president.”
Asked specifically about the Republican members of Congress who voted against ending Biden’s victory, even after the deadly turmoil, Langone said: “I don’t know what the hell they had in mind, frankly … What was a grandstand play? “
“There will be a lot of time, and I’m sure it will take a lot of energy to do what they have to do, whether for Trump, for those senators or whatever,” added Langone. “Ultimately, thank God, we are a democracy and voters will have the last word.”