Senate Majority Leader McConnell: "Trump Incited Capitol Rioters"

Sangwon Likely to Affect Senate Vote on Trump Impeachment Resolution

Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate Majority Leader
Photo by AP News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader from the U.S. Republican Party, directly criticized President Donald Trump on the 19th regarding the incident on the 6th (local time) when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building.

During the Senate floor session that day, McConnell said, "The protesters were deceived by lies," and added, "President Trump and those in power incited the protesters." He further criticized, "The protesters tried to use violence and terror to stop certain legislative procedures they did not like."

Supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol building on the 6th, causing chaos. Due to the protesters' intrusion, the House and Senate temporarily halted the certification process of President-elect Joe Biden's victory but reconvened that evening to complete the procedure.

It is unusual for Majority Leader McConnell to criticize President Trump. As the Republican leader in the Senate directly criticizes Trump, it is expected to influence the upcoming Senate vote on the impeachment of President Trump.

President Trump faces a second impeachment crisis during his term, accused of effectively inciting the protesters to storm the Capitol. He is charged with "incitement of insurrection" for allegedly inciting the crowd with false claims that the election was rigged, leading to the Capitol breach. The House of Representatives passed the impeachment resolution against Trump on the 13th, and the Senate vote is pending. Majority Leader McConnell has stated that the Senate would not discuss impeachment before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.

The Senate currently holds an equal number of seats for both the Republican and Democratic parties, with 50 seats each. Majority Leader McConnell will soon hand over the position of majority leader to Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer. When Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is inaugurated, she will serve as the Senate President and hold the casting vote, making the Democrats the majority party in the Senate.