“Our democracy is under unprecedented assault”
United States president-elect Joe Biden has condemned the violent scenes in Washington DC on Wednesday evening, where armed Donald Trump supporters broke into the Capitol building and assaulted police.
Trump supporters, who were in DC to protest November’s election results as part of a March for Trump/Save America rally held outside the building, stormed the capitol and could be seen assaulting security guards, posing for selfies and looting items.
One person has been shot in America's Capitol after armed Trump supporters stormed the building and fought with police.
Congress was forced to suspend the certification of Joe Biden's election victory. pic.twitter.com/SF3tNzypuv
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) January 6, 2021
According to reports, one person has been shot. The DC National Guard have been deployed.
Speaking from Wilmington, Delaware, Biden said: “At this hour, our democracy is under unprecedented assault, unlike anything we’ve seen in modern times.
“Let me be very clear: The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect the true America, do not represent who we are.”
Let me be very clear: the scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not represent who we are. What we are seeing is a small number of extremists dedicated to lawlessness. This is not dissent, it's disorder. It borders on sedition, and it must end. Now.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 6, 2021
Biden also called Donald Trump out for criticism, urging the president to take to the airwaves and demand his supporters come to their senses.
“I call on President Trump to go on national television now, to fulfil his oath and defend the Constitution and demand an end to this siege,” he said.
“President Trump, step up,” he added.
President-elect Biden’s message to President Trump: “Step up.” https://t.co/Iac8rBIQZd pic.twitter.com/MeKmCgb79F
— CNBC (@CNBC) January 6, 2021
Since losing the election to Biden in November last year, Trump has repeatedly alleged that the result was due to electoral fraud on a mass scale. In subsequent weeks, and despite numerous lawsuits, no evidence of fraud has been found.
