Joe Biden Blasts Chaos And Riots In Capitol, Calling For Donald Trump To Do His Job
President-elect Joe Biden called on President Donald Trump to perform his constitutionally mandated duty to insist that rioters who breached the U.S. Capitol building to end their violent attack on the seat of American power. Rioters stormed through the Capitol on Wednesday (Jan.6) afternoon breaking windows and through doors while Congress was in session to certify the 2020 election.
“I call on President Trump to go on national television now to fulfill his oath and defend the constitution and demand an end to this siege,” said Biden, speaking from Wilmington, Del., calling it “disorder,” and “chaos.” He noted the storming of the building, threatening elected officials and the vagrancy and vandalism were not protests, but “insurrection.”
By late Wednesday afternoon rioters were remaining in the building and around it. They had been demonstrating since Tuesday as the certification procedures approached. At about noon, they began to push against security doors and break windows until they had broken in. When they did, House and Senate security procedures began to be implemented and a lockdown was ordered. Legislators and their staffs either evacuated or sheltered in place.
Biden echoes the sentiments of many in and outside of the government who were disgusted with what happened, something unprecedented in U.S. history. Biden citied President Trump’s comments which have been inciting extremists for years, as the main catalyst feeding the chaos.
"The words of a president matter no matter how good or bad that president is. At their best the words of a president can inspire, at their worst they can incite," Biden said.
It is unclear if the protesters — who are bordering on domestic terrorism — are from an organized group or just random people, but what is clear is that they are determined to stop Biden from becoming president, believing President Donald Trump’s baseless claims that massive voter fraud was the reason he lost the 2020 election.
One woman was shot and was reportedly in critical condition and several law enforcement officers were injured in the fracas.
The rioters reportedly planned to stay in the building all night, but while law enforcement personnel seemed scant, the District of Columbia National Guard was activated and police forces from areas surrounding Washington were on their way. It is unclear if any arrests have been made.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has implemented a 6 p.m. curfew beginning Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, in an effort many people are considering too little, too late, Trump tweeted a video message Wednesday afternoon, still complaining about the election and claiming it was stolen from him — a claim which he has never shown evidence of — but also asking for the rioters to go home.
