Trump asks his supporters who stormed the Capitol to 'remember this day forever!'
In a tweet that has since been removed by Twitter, President Trump on Wednesday evening stoked his supporters who have descended on Capitol Hill, telling them they are justified in their actions.
"These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously and viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly and unfairly treated for so long," Trump tweeted. "Go home with love and in peace. Remember this day forever!"
With many waving Trump flags and wearing Make America Great Again hats, the supporters stormed the Capitol on Wednesday morning, forcing lawmakers to shelter in place. Trump did not immediately ask the mob to leave, and aides told The New York Times he refused to issue a statement because he was so angry at Vice President Mike Pence for not blocking the Electoral College certification — something Pence did not have the power to do.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
When Trump finally did break his silence, he requested that people "remain peaceful" and "respect the law and our great men and women in blue." He then tweeted a video telling his supporters he thinks they are "very special." Twitter flagged this video — as well as the tweet asking people to "remember this day forever!" — with notes explaining they could not be replied to or retweeted because that could further incite violence. Not long after, Twitter removed both of the tweets completely.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
US offers Ukraine NATO-like security pact, with caveatsSpeed Read The Trump administration has offered Ukraine security guarantees similar to those it would receive from NATO
-
Hong Kong court convicts democracy advocate LaiSpeed Read Former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai was convicted in a landmark national security trial
-
Australia weighs new gun laws after antisemitic attackSpeed Read A father and son opened fire on Jewish families at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing at least 15
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Benin thwarts coup attemptSpeed Read President Patrice Talon condemned an attempted coup that was foiled by the West African country’s army
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned



