Barack Obama quickly condemned Trump and his MAGA Mob for their barbaric violence at the United States Capitol yesterday.
“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 dishonor and shame for our nation,” Obama said in a statement the evening of the attack (Jan 6). “But we’d be kidding ourselves if we treated it as a total surprise.”
Obama placed blame on Trump for refusing to concede the presidential election. “For two months now, a political party and its accompanying media ecosystem has too often been unwilling to tell their followers the truth — that this was not a particularly close election and that President-Elect Biden will be inaugurated on January 20. Their fantasy narrative has spiraled further and further from reality, and it builds upon years of sown resentments. Now we’re seeing the consequences, whipped up into a violent crescendo,” the statement continued.
Obama says that Republican leaders must now choose between “stoking the raging fires” of division and hatred or taking “the first steps toward extinguishing the flames” by acknowledging Joe Biden as the next sitting president. Obama also stated that he had been “heartened” to see Republics speaking out against the violence at the capitol, unlike Trump.
Obama certainly wasn’t the only politician to speak out the reckless and unpunished behavior of Trump’s supporters. 43rd President George W. Bush released a statement which read, “I am appalled by the reckless behavior of some political leaders since the election and by the lack of respect shown today for our institutions, our traditions, and our law enforcement.” Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton issued a tweet calling the attackers “domestic terrorists” that should be held accountable.