Facing the prospect of a second impeachment for "incitement of insurrection," President Trump on Tuesday insisted a speech he delivered encouraging supporters to march to the U.S. Capitol and "show strength" was "totally appropriate."
In his first remarks to reporters since a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol to disrupt the certification of the election results, the president didn't take responsibility and defended the speech he delivered prior to the deadly riot.
"If you read my speech, and many people have done it, and I've seen it both in the papers and in the media, on television, it's been analyzed, and people thought that what I said was totally appropriate," Trump claimed, citing nobody in particular.
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.
He went on to again assert that unnamed people have "analyzed" his speech and that "everybody to the T thought it was totally appropriate," even though he has faced widespread condemnation for the remarks, including from Republicans.
Trump in his speech had urged supporters in Washington to "walk down to the Capitol" where Congress was meeting to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory, and he called on them to "show strength" because "you'll never take back our country with weakness." The subsequent pro-Trump riot at the Capitol left five people dead, and on Monday, House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment charging Trump with inciting an insurrection; the resolution said he "willfully made statements that, in context, encouraged — and foreseeably resulted in — lawless action at the Capitol."
Trump, while saying he wants "no violence," on Tuesday dismissed this second impeachment effort as "ridiculous" and said it's "causing tremendous danger to our country." He could become the only president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. Brendan Morrow
-
Taking aim at Venezuela’s autocratFeature The Trump administration is ramping up military pressure on Nicolás Maduro. Is he a threat to the U.S.?
-
Comey indictment: Is the justice system broken?Feature U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of lying and obstructing Congress
-
Government shuts down amid partisan deadlockFeature As Democrats and Republicans clash over health care and spending, the shutdown leaves 750,000 federal workers in limbo
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime ministerSpeed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
Israel and Hamas meet on hostages, Trump’s planSpeed Read Hamas accepted the general terms of Trump’s 20-point plan, including the release of all remaining hostages
-
US tipped to help Kyiv strike Russian energy sitesSpeed Read Trump has approved providing Ukraine with intelligence for missile strikes on Russian energy infrastructure
-
Netanyahu agrees to Trump’s new Gaza peace planSpeed Read At President Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they agreed upon a plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Moldova gives decisive win to pro-EU partySpeed Read The country is now on track to join the European Union within five years
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
UK, 3 Western allies recognize Palestinian stateSpeed Read Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal formally recognized the state of Palestine
