Following the chaos that erupted in the US capital Washington DC on Wednesday, 6 January, with supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump storming the Capitol building, former President Barack Obama urged Republicans to "choose reality and take the first steps toward extinguishing the flames".
“History will rightly remember today’s violence at the Capitol, incited by a sitting president who has continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election, as a moment of great dishonour and shame for our nation. But we’d be kidding ourselves if we treated it as a total surprise,” Obama said in a statement.
"I’ve been heartened to see many members of the president’s party speak up forcefully today... We need more leaders like these – right now and in the days, weeks, and months ahead as President-Elect Biden works to restore a common purpose to our politics. It’s up to all of us as Americans, regardless of party, to support him in that goal."
‘Four Years of Poison Politics’: Bill Clinton
Denouncing the violence, Bill Clinton, who served as the 42nd US president from 1993 to 2001, tweeted, “Today, we faced an unprecedented assault on our Capitol, our Constitution, and our country.”
“The assault was fuelled by more than four years of poison politics spreading deliberate misinformation, sowing distrust in our system, and pitting Americans against one another. The match was lit by Donald Trump and his most ardent enablers, including many in Congress, to overturn the results of an election he lost,” Clinton said.
Calling the election "free", the counting "fair", and the result "final", Clinton called for completing the peaceful transition of power as mandated by the Constitution.
‘Appalled by Reckless Behaviour of Some Political Leaders’: Bush
Former President and Republican George Bush too came out with a statement condemning the rioters.
"I am appalled by the reckless behaviour of some political leaders since the election and by the lack of respect shown today for our institutions, our traditions, and our law enforcement," he said.
“In the United States of America, it is the fundamental responsibility of every patriotic citizen to support the rule of law. To those who are disappointed in the results of the election: Our country is more important than the politics of the moment,” Bush wrote.
"This is how election results are disputed in a banana republic – not our democratic republic.”
The drama in the US unfolded on Wednesday as members of both Houses of the US Congress were meeting to conduct the counting of votes to certify the Electoral College victory of Joe Biden in the US presidential election.
A woman died after being shot inside the Capitol. According to reports, the woman was shot in the chest by a law enforcement officer and was rushed to a hospital in critical condition where resuscitation efforts were made.
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