Just a few hours after the start of the second impeachment proceedings, the elected US President Donald Trump published a video message. In it, Trump clearly condemns the attack on the Capitol by his supporters – after shouting to his rampaging supporters in a first video that was published shortly after the riots in Washington: “We love you. I am very special. ”
For the new video, recorded in the Oval Office, Trump had to „New York Times“ according to be urged by his advisors. His son-in-law and confidante Jared Kushner and even Vice President Mike Pence should have assured the doubting still-President that another video message would be appropriate – and perhaps also legally advisable.
Trump distances himself in the video from the violence in Washington – but he does not mention the impeachment proceedings against himself, which the Democrats justify with the fact that Trump had fueled this violence – the storm of his angry supporters on the Capitol.
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The “incursion into the capital” hit the United States in the heart, says Trump and continues: “I clearly condemn the violence we experienced last week.”
“Violence and vandalism have absolutely no place in our country and in our movement,” says Trump, referring to movement as the “Make America Great Again” campaign with which he headed his presidency. The movement always advocates law and order.
“The violence of a mob is directed against everything I believe in and everything that our movement stands for,” says Trump. “No true supporter of mine could ever advocate political violence.”
Whoever does that is attacking the movement and the country. “We cannot tolerate that,” says Trump.
In the past year, the country has experienced too much unrest and violence, it must stop. “Whether you are on the right or on the left, whether you are a Democrat or a Republican – there is never any justification for violence,” says Trump.
He calls on his compatriots to reduce tensions and promote peace in the country. There are reports that further demonstrations are planned in Washington and across the country “in the coming days”. “There must be no violence, no breaches of the law and no vandalism,” emphasizes Trump.
He does not say a word that the riots planned by the right-wing Trump mob refer to the handover to his successor Joe Biden in the coming week. Trump has already canceled his participation in the swearing-in ceremony of the 46th US President, without giving a reason.
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“We will master this challenge, as we always do,” says the current president.
Trump then condemns the “recent attacks on freedom of speech”, alluding to his ban on Twitter, Youtube and other social media. “We have to listen to each other and not be silent,” he says.
“I call on all Americans to overcome the anger of the moment and to be a united American people,” appeals Trump at the end of his video.
Trump completely ignores the fact that he himself contributed significantly to anger, violence and division in the USA with his baseless claims of election fraud and weeks of Twitter volleys.
At no point in the video does Trump show regret or humility. The loser is not even talking about the end of his presidency.
On Tuesday, on board the presidential plane “Air Force One” on the way to Texas to the border fence with Mexico there, Trump said several times to the fellow travelers, according to the “New York Times”: “I won!”