Republican lawmakers voiced frustration with President TrumpDonald TrumpWarnock defeats Loeffler in Georgia Senate runoffThe Memo: Georgia voters deliver blow to TrumpEric Trump warns of primary challenges for Republicans who don’t object to election resultsMORE on Wednesday after rioters stormed the Capitol seeking to disrupt Congress’s counting of the Electoral College vote.
Trump has for months offered baseless claims that the election was “rigged” and encouraged his supporters to gather in Washington, D.C., including urging them to take to the Capitol lawn. On Wednesday, a pro-Trump mob invaded the Capitol, damaging and vandalizing the building, including both chambers and leadership offices.
GOP lawmakers, many of whom have stuck closely with Trump since he came to power in 2017, pointed to his rhetoric as a driving factor behind Wednesday’s violence.
“We witnessed today the damage that can result when men in power and responsibility refuse to acknowledge the truth. We saw bloodshed because a demagogue chose to spread falsehoods and sow distrust of his own fellow Americans. Let’s not abet such deception,” Sen. Pat ToomeyPatrick (Pat) Joseph ToomeyGovernment used Patriot Act to gather website visitor logs in 2019Appeals court rules NSA’s bulk phone data collection illegalDunford withdraws from consideration to chair coronavirus oversight panelMORE (R-Pa.) said from the Senate floor.
Asked if he thought Trump’s rhetoric caused the riots, Sen. Mike RoundsMike RoundsSenate poised to override Trump’s defense bill vetoSenate GOP to Trump: The election is overMcConnell urges GOP senators not to object to Electoral College voteMORE (R-S.D.) said he hadn’t seen all of the president’s comments but “he certainly did not help.”
“If anything, he urged in a very emotional situation, very inappropriate action by people that appear to be his supporters,” Rounds said.
Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamGeorgia Senate races shatter spending recordsThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Georgia election day is finally here; Trump hopes Pence ‘comes through for us’ to overturn resultsTrump’s power wanes in closing weeksMORE (R-S.C.), who has aligned himself closely with Trump, said in a fiery floor speech that he had tried to support the president but “enough is enough.”
“Trump and I, we had a hell of a journey. I hate it being this way. … All I can say is count me out. Enough is enough. … We’ve got to end it,” Graham said.
Sen. Kevin CramerKevin John CramerNorth Dakota senator on decision to back Electoral College: ‘It was brutal’The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Georgia election day is finally here; Trump hopes Pence ‘comes through for us’ to overturn resultsSenate GOP opposition grows to objecting to Electoral College resultsMORE (R-N.D.) said Trump “bears some responsibility” for the violence at the Capitol.
“Today in watching his speech. I have to admit I gasped I mean, first of all his treatment of Mike PenceMichael (Mike) Richard PenceTrump attorney Jay Sekulow refutes claims of Pence authority over electorsTrump election fight puts Pence in no-win situationPence aide pushes back on Navarro claim that VP could delay election certificationMORE … if there was nothing else, his treatment of Mike Pence is unjustified, wrong and really unfortunate,” Cramer said, adding that the president’s treatment of his No. 2 was “really irritating.”
Cramer added that Trump’s election rhetoric, including urging his supporters to gather outside the Capitol, was “inciting” and “pouring fuel.”
Wednesday was already expected to highlight one of the biggest divisions between Trump and congressional Republicans, as GOP lawmakers sided with Democrats to affirm President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenThe Memo: Georgia voters deliver blow to TrumpWarnock win puts Democrats within reach of Senate majorityEric Trump warns of primary challenges for Republicans who don’t object to election resultsMORE’s Electoral College win despite a plan by dozens of their conservative colleagues to make an hours-long, guaranteed-to-fail effort to throw out the results in key battleground states.
The Senate and House both rejected the first challenge to Arizona’s election results, in the wake of the riots. But the challenge still got the support of six Senate Republicans and 121 House Republicans, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyKevin Owen McCarthyTulsi Gabbard blasts new House rules on gender neutral language as ‘height of hypocrisy’House GOP debates Electoral College voteMcMorris Rodgers floats vacating Speaker’s chair over Democrat’s in-person vote after COVID diagnosisMORE (R-Calif.), supporting throwing out the results.
The joint session comes after Republicans have already broken with Trump on big policy decisions including handing him first veto override just last week.
But the previous schisms paled in comparison to reaction by GOP lawmakers to violence from a pro-Trump mob.
Rep. Chip RoyCharles (Chip) Eugene RoyPelosi warns lawmakers to social distance after many flout guidelinesThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Trump’s new phone call controversy, Georgia runoffs headline big weekChip Roy challenges seating of House members from six presidential battleground statesMORE (R-Texas) said opposing Trump’s attempts to overturn the election “may well sign my political death warrant. So be it.” Rep. Liz CheneyElizabeth (Liz) Lynn CheneyHoyer says Trump Georgia call likely criminal, wants ‘serious’ investigationMcMorris Rodgers floats vacating Speaker’s chair over Democrat’s in-person vote after COVID diagnosisObama warns of threats to ‘fundamental principles of our democracy’ after Trump Georgia callMORE (Wyo.), the No. 3 House Republican, pulled no punches when she told Fox News: There is no question that the president formed the mob, the president incited the mob. …He lit the flame.”
Sen. Tom CottonTom Bryant CottonTrump pressure campaign splits 2024 GOP contendersTrump raises pressure on Pence, incorrectly stating he could throw out electorsThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Georgia election day is finally here; Trump hopes Pence ‘comes through for us’ to overturn resultsMORE (R-Ark.), who has aligned himself closely with Trump, released a statement calling on him to concede.
Its past time for the president to accept the results of the election, quit misleading the American people, and repudiate mob violence, Cotton said.
Trump and his allies have spread unverified claims that the election was stolen even as their election challenges were rejected by dozens of courts and election experts have dismissed claims of widespread election fraud.
Trump first tweeted on Wednesday afternoon urging supporters to “stay peaceful” and support law enforcement without expressly condemning those using force to enter the Capitol. The president tweeted again 35 minutes later to urge “no violence” and emphasizing the need to respect police.
Under growing pressure, he then tweeted around 4:15 p.m. to tell his supporters to “go home” though he continued to praise them and repeat his false claims of election fraud.
“Go home. We love you, you’re very special,” Trump said in a video posted to Twitter. “I know how you feel. But go home and go home in peace.”
Twitter later removed the tweets and temporarily suspended Trump’s account for violating its policies.
As rioters stormed the Senate, senators were first told to shelter in place before being evacuated to a secure location.
Leaving the area hours later, Sen. Roy BluntRoy Dean BluntElectoral College fight splits GOP as opposition grows to election challengeRepublican infighting on election intensifiesHawley jams GOP with Electoral College fightMORE (R-Mo.) was asked if he wanted to hear what Trump had said about the violence. Blunt, a member of GOP leadership, said he didn’t “want to hear anything.”
“I think it was a tragic day and he was part of it,” Blunt said.
Sen. John ThuneJohn Randolph ThuneEric Trump warns of primary challenges for Republicans who don’t object to election resultsTrump’s power wanes in closing weeksRepublican infighting on election intensifiesMORE (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, said Trump’s rhetoric “sure didn’t help.”
“Certainly encouraging people to go to the Capitol and some of the sort of implied suggestions I think are you know … they just encourage the wrong behavior,” Thune said.
Some of the president’s most frequent GOP critics were more direct.
“We gather due to a selfish man’s injured pride, and the outrage of supporters who he has deliberately misinformed for the past two months and stirred to action this very morning. What happened today was an insurrection incited by the president of the United States,” said Sen. Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyBiden: ‘Decent Republicans’ willing to break from TrumpTrump renominates Judy Shelton in last-ditch bid to reshape FedNational Review criticizes ‘Cruz Eleven’: Barbara Boxer shouldn’t be conservative role modelMORE (R-Utah) from the Senate floor.
Sen. Ben SasseBen SasseTrump pressure campaign splits 2024 GOP contendersThe GOP must stop Americans from believing elections are riggedRepublican infighting on election intensifiesMORE (R-Neb.) also directly blamed Trump, who he accused of being “cowered behind his keyboard.”
“Lies have consequences,” Sasse said. “This violence was the inevitable and ugly outcome of the Presidents addiction to constantly stoking division.”