Nearly two weeks after the violent attack on the Capitol in Washington D.C., Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell accused President Donald Trump of inciting the riot. During a speech on the Senate floor Tuesday, McConnell criticized Trump for feeding his supporters lies.
“The Mob was fed lies.” the Republican Senator said on the Senate floor. “They were provoked by the president and other powerful people.”
“They tried to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government which they did not like but we pressed on. We stood together and said an angry mob would not get veto power over the rule of law in our nation, not even for one night,” said McConnell.
A day away from President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ Inauguration, McConnell, a Kentucky Senator, said American’s should expect a “safe and successful inaugural” on the front of the Capitol.
While the Inauguration is near, the Senate prepares to hold an impeachment trial over the House’s charge of “incitement of insurrection.” According to McConnell, the Senate has received a message from the House that Trump has been impeached, but the House hasn’t transmitted the article to the Senate.
McConnell hasn’t announced whether he will vote to convict after the evidence is presented in the upcoming trial.
