Trump Returns to Twitter, Concedes Election
Condemns “violence, lawlessness, and mayhem” by his supporters at the Capitol.
After being temporarily banned from Twitter yesterday, President Donald Trump returning this evening with a video condemning the "heinous attack on the United States Capitol," before acknowledging that he lost November's election and conceding.
"A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th," he says in the video. "My focus turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly, seamless transition of power. This moment calls for healing and reconciliation."
In the nearly three-minute video, he says he's outraged by the "violence, lawlessness, and mayhem" that took place in his name Wednesday. He claims that he immediately deployed the National Guard to secure the building, which is not what officials were telling the media. It was allegedly Vice President Mike Pence who handled the coordination.
Trump did not in the video repeat his frequent claims that he actually won the election and had been cheated out of a second term due to voter fraud. Instead he says his "only goal was to ensure the integrity of the vote. In doing so [he] was fighting to defend American democracy." He adds that he still believes that election laws need to be reformed to assure the identity of voters.
The video concludes with Trump calling on unity to work together to end the coronavirus pandemic: "It will require a renewed emphasis on the civic values of patriotism, faith, charity, community, and family."
He concludes, "To the citizens of the country, serving as your president has been the honor of a lifetime and to all of my wonderful supporters, I know you are disappointed, but I want you to know, our incredible journey is only just beginning."
Watch below:
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2021