Bush, more Republicans condemn Trump’s “destructive” supporters

BY KAYODE ADELOWOKAN….

Former President George W Bush Wednesday joined more Republicans to weigh in to condemn the attack – and President Donald Trump’s rhetoric.

President Bush in a statement on the “scenes of mayhem” unfolding in the US Capitol said, “It is a sickening and heartbreaking sight.”

“This is how election results are disputed in a banana republic – not our democratic republic.”

Bush continued, saying that he was “appalled by the reckless behaviour of some political leaders” since the presidential election, but stopped short of calling out President Trump or his supporters by name.

In his own statement, Republican Senator Mitt Romney went a step further, condemning today’s “insurrection, incited by the President of the United States”.

Those who support Trump, Romney wrote, “will forever be seen as being complicit in an unprecedented attack against our democracy”.

President Trump has yet to condemn the rioters who broke into the Capitol building but has asked people to remain peaceful.

In the same vein, North Carolina Senator Richard Burr placed the blame on Trump. “The President bears responsibility for today’s events by promoting the unfounded conspiracy theories that have led to this point.” He added.

Also, Congresswoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming said there was “no question that the president formed the mob, the president incited the mob, the president addressed the mob. He lit the flame.”

Her fellow congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington State said she has now decided to vote to uphold Joe Biden’s win, calling today’s incidents “unlawful and unacceptable” as she urged Trump “to condemn and put an end to this madness”.

Colorado’s state Republican leadership also condemned the mob attack, “just as we condemned the actions of protesters at our own Colorado State Capitol this past spring” amid Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

And the national Republican Party communications director Michael Ahrens wrote on Twitter that the attack amounted to “domestic terrorism”.

“Our soldiers have died carrying the American flag into battle for our freedom. To see that flag used in the name of unfounded conspiracy theories is a disgrace to the nation, and every decent American should be disgusted by it.”