A day after the mayhem and destructive actions of pro-Trump protestors at the Capitol building, outgoing President Donald Trump released his first public speech as his Twitter account stands suspended following his fomenting statements.
Though his Wednesday’s choice of words included a boost to his supporters to march towards the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the election result and bring him back to power, the world witnessed a change of tone in the President’s voice as his temper went down and he assured a “smooth, orderly and seamless” transition of power” to Joe Biden after the Congress certified Biden and Harris as 2020 US election winners.
The certification took place post the dismissal of the protestors from the building, one of which had taken to the dais and shouted, “Trump won that election!”, according to a report by The Guardian.
Trump, in his Thursday’s video message, told that the people who performed the violent acts did not “represent the country” and those who infiltrated the Capitol “defiled the seat of American Democracy”.
Terming them as “demonstrators” and not rioters or protestors despite their unlawful and heinous activities, the President said that the ones “who broke the law will pay”.
Though the election was intense where “emotions were high”, he asked his supporters to maintain peace now by saying, “tempers must be cooled and calm restored” as they need to continue with the business of America.
After denying to concede the election results on Wednesday, in his video, Trump said, “Now, Congress has certified the results. A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20.”
He ended his nearly 3 mins long message by twilling his “wonderful supporters”, “I know you are disappointed, but I also want you to know that our incredible journey is only just beginning,” while also mentioning that it was his honor to have served America as its President.
After the violence ended at Capitol Hill where the rioters created havoc, Trump’s tweet seemed to support the incident and the protestors as he called them “great patriots”. He said, “These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & peace. Remember this day forever!”
He posted the same message both on Facebook and Twitter. While Facebook took down the post, Twitter flagged it first, calling it a “violation of Twitter rules”. Soon, the platform announced a temporary suspension of the President’s Twitter account for 12 hours and more, probably if he fails to delete it despite the warning, joined with another warning of permanent suspension if he keeps continuing his genre of posts by violating the rules. At 8.30 pm on the same day, Facebook too followed suit and announced his suspension from the site for 24 hours as officials found “two policy violations against President Trump’s Page”, according to a Facebook spokesperson.
Though he told his fans that he will come along with them to the Capitol, the President remained comfortable in his Oval office, watching the chaos unfold in front of him.
Amidst the hullabaloo, an explosive device was found in Washington, at the Republican National Committee headquarters. This pushed Trump to ask the crowd to leave.
“You have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order. We don’t want anyone hurt. We love you. You’re very special. I know how you feel,” he sympathetically told the rioters through a video message, seen by many as a softer way to tell the protestors to go back.
