Many are criticizing President Donald Trump following the protests that erupted at the U.S. Capitol this week.
Pro-Trump protestors stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, following a “Save America” rally in Washington, D.C., where Trump spoke.
At the rally, Trump told his supporters that the election results were an “egregious assault on our democracy” and he told them they should “walk down to the Capitol.”
The president said, “We are going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women,” adding, “And we are probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them — because you will never take back our country with weakness.”
Among those are slamming the president is former U.S. Attorney General William Barr.
Barr labeled Trump’s conduct amid protesters storming the U.S. Capitol a “betrayal of his office and supporters,” he said in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday.
He added that “orchestrating a mob to pressure Congress is inexcusable.”
The breach at the U.S. Capitol resulted in four deaths and at least 70 arrests, Fox News reports, citing the Washington, D.C., police. One woman was shot by a U.S. Capitol Police officer on Wednesday. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund said on Thursday that the officer is suspended and there is an investigation being conducted.
Barr announced in December he would step down as attorney general at the end of the year, as IJR previously reported.
Early Thursday morning, Trump said in a statement, posted to Twitter by a White House aide, that there will be an “orderly transition” of power on Jan. 20, when President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated.
However, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) became the first Republican Congress member to call for the 25th Amendment to be invoked, as IJR reported. He joined the calls from several other Democratic lawmakers.
“It’s time to invoke the 25th Amendment and end this nightmare,” Kinzinger said in a video message posted to Twitter.
He added, “The president caused this. The president is unfit and the president is unwell. And the president now must relinquish control of the executive branch voluntarily or involuntarily.”
