Trump condemns Capitol attack in 1st message after impeachment; Biden blames Trump

US President Donald Trump has said he “unequivocally” condemns last week’s attack on the US Capitol by his supporters, hours after he was impeached for "incitement of insurrection.”

Trump, stripped of Twitter, posted a video on official White House account on Wednesday, saying that it was not his “true supporter” who attacked the Capitol building last Wednesday as the chamber was debating the counting of Electoral College's votes.

“I want to be very clear; I unequivocally condemn the violence that we saw last week,” Trump said.

“Violence and vandalism have absolutely no place in our country and no place in our movement," he said in his first remarks since the House of Representatives voted to impeach him for the second time,” he added.

US House opens Donald Trump's impeachment session

The US House of Representatives has opened a historic session on the second impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Trump had earlier encouraged his supporters to "be wild," and “fight like hell…to take back our county.”

He said in the latest video that there “is never a justification for violence. No excuses, no exceptions: America is a nation of laws.”

The outgoing president called on his supporters to remain peaceful, as the nation is concerned over further unrest ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20.

Trump said that people need to “overcome the passions of the moment and join together as one American people.”

He released the video at the same time that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was signing the article of impeachment against him that her chamber passed earlier in the day.

The article now will go to the Senate for an impeachment trial.

The president, however, made no mention of the impeachment, which makes him the only US president impeached twice.

Trump deleted tweets that led to his Twitter lockout

US President Donald Trump has deleted the posts that led to the temporary suspension of his account, according to a Twitter spokesperson.

Trump, who is banned by social media giants Twitter and Facebook after the violence in the Capitol, denounced what he said was an "unprecedented assault on free speech."

"The efforts to censor, cancel and blacklist our fellow citizens are wrong and dangerous," he said. "What is needed now is for us to listen to one another, and not to silence one another."

Graham warns of ‘further violence’

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump supporter, denounced the impeachment of the president at the final days of his term, saying that Trump would step down from the White House next week.

Graham said in a tweet on Wednesday that further impeachment proceedings may inspire additional social unrest in the country.

“The House impeachment process seeks to legitimize a snap impeachment totally void of due process,” he said.  

Graham said that impeachment is not “appropriate at this point" as it could cause “great damage” to Republicans and become a threat to future presidents.

“No hearings. No witnesses. It is a rushed process that, over time, will become a threat to future presidents,” the senator added.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, however, said that the process would only begin "at the first regular meeting” and that “no final verdict would be reached until after President Trump had left office.”

Biden directly blames Trump for 'inciting violence'

Democratic President-elect Joe Biden directly blamed Trump for what he described as the “armed insurrection” in the Capitol.

Biden said in a statement on Wednesday that the “senseless mayhem” was “unlike anything we have witnessed in the 244-year history of our nation” and that “those responsible must be held accountable.”

“This criminal attack was planned and coordinated. It was carried out by political extremists and domestic terrorists, who were incited to this violence by President Trump,” Biden added.

During the violence last week, Biden called on Trump to “demand an end” to the “siege.”

McConnell: Trump impeachment trial to start after Inauguration Day

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell says the impeachment of US President Donald Trump  will not begin in the Senate before the Inauguration Day.

Trump’s impeachment would likely be dragged into Biden’s first term.

The president was impeached for the first time on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, in December 2019.

Though the Republican-controlled Senate voted to acquit him back then, the state of play is less clear this time around, as a growing number of his fellow Republicans break with Trump over the Capitol siege.

Six House Republican lawmakers said earlier that they would vote to impeach Trump.

Republican Senate the majority leader,  Mitch McConnell said on Wednesday that said he remains undecided on how he will vote to impeach or acquit Trump this time.

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