Trump Spokeswoman Says President Emphatically Condemns Riot at Capitol

President Donald Trump’s spokeswoman said the president and his aides condemn rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, disrupting the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory.

“The violence we saw yesterday at our nation’s capitol was appalling, reprehensible and antithetical to the American way. We condemn it, the president and this administration in the strongest possible terms,” White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a brief statement to reporters.

She took no questions.

“Those who work in this building are working to ensure an orderly transition of power,” she said.

The president hasn’t personally condemned the mob’s actions and hasn’t been seen or heard in public since posting a video urging his supporters who invaded the Capitol to “go home.”

Twitter removed the video -- which led off with Trump repeating false claims of election fraud and expressed sympathy toward the rioters -- and disabled his Twitter account.

Trump’s social media manager, Dan Scavino, posted a statement on Twitter early Thursday, after Congress returned to the Capitol and certified Biden’s victory, in which Trump said he would ensure an “orderly transition” even though he disputes the outcome of the election.

“What we saw yesterday was a group of violent rioters undermining the legitimate First Amendment rights of the many thousands who came to peacefully have their voices heard in our nation’s capital,” McEnany said.

“Those who violently besieged our capital are the opposite of everything this administration stands for.”

Some critics insist Trump directly incited the riot.

Asked whether the U.S. Attorney’s office would scrutinize the president’s alleged role, Michael Sherwin, the acting U.S. Attorney in Washington, said at a press conference that “all actors” are being looked at.

“Anyone that had a role, and the evidence fits the elements of a crime, they’re going to be charged,” Sherwin said.

Trump addressed a crowd Wednesday and urged his supporters to go the Capitol, saying they would “never take back our country with weakness.”

The violent mob then stormed the Capitol, charging past police barriers, smashing windows and sending lawmakers fleeing for safety.

The riot, which resulted in four deaths, forced members of Congress to temporarily abandon their formal certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the November election.

The lawmakers returned and completed the certification once the building was secured.