The country that goes to war to force on others its brand of democracy, is witnessing an insurrection orchestrated by its president as supporters besieged the legislative chambers to stop the certification of the victory of his rival in the November 3, vote.
President Donald Trump encouraged his supporters at a rally Wednesday behind the White House to walk to the Capitol Building and “show strength” and “fight.”
And fight they did – storming the building, vandalizing it, and breaching its entrances in the middle of a joint session of congress, sending lawmakers and the vice president scampering for safety.
Supporters of out-going US president, Donald Trump buoyed by a speech hours ago where he urged them to go to the Capitol and ‘Stop the steal’ are causing mayhem at the capital destroying property in a protest fast turning violent.
In the ensuing melee, Donald Trump who boasted that he was leading the protest was cooped inside the White House away while his supporters emboldened by him run amok in the nation’s capital.
The scene in Washington is commonplace in third-world countries where imported Western democracy has proven to be a bad fit. It is even more shameful for a country with a democratic tradition dating back 200 years, removing any credibility to instruct other countries.
“This is a shame, this is a stain on our nation,” Jake Tapper, CNN anchor said several times.
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Rick Santorum, a former presidential candidate said he could not understand how people who claim to love the country will want to destroy it.
A woman was reportedly shot and wounded and several police officers were injured with at least one transported to the hospital.
Military personnel, the national guard, and police from nearby states have been summoned to rein in the riotous mob.
The ugly scene on Wednesday was always coming. Trump has kept up a baseless claim about the election being stolen even before the official results came in. His supporters and campaign have filed about 60 challenges against the election in both state and federal courts and have been laughed out of court as the claims were found ridiculous.
However, members of the president’s Republican party rather than convince him of this reality have enabled him, repeat the baseless claims or even file frivolous petitions against the election results.
Mitch McConnell, the highest-ranking Republican lawmaker failed to acknowledge Biden as president 40 days after the election. Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, and eleven other senators joined about 140 other lawmakers from the lower chamber to object to the certification of the vote turning what should have been a mere formality into a theater of the absurd.
Trump has turned on his loyal vice president Mike Pence whom he urged to violate the constitution and ensure he maintains a false claim to the presidency.
“Mike Pence didn’t dare to do what should have been done to protect our country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certified. The USA demands the truth!” Trump tweeted.
The US president continues to demonstrate a shocking ignorance of the country’s constitution because his vice president only performs a ceremonial role.
Amid the chaos, he tweeted a terse message calling for calm.
“I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!,” Trump said on Twitter.
