Trump provoca disturbis i morts al Capitoli

THIS IS AMERICA: Four people have died after supporters of Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory. Here’s the latest this morning from our stateside colleagues.

What happened: The mob overwhelmed police or what was to be seen of law enforcement agencies, broke into what used to be called the cradle of modern democracy, destroyed equipment of TV teams and threatened reporters. In short, the American capital was thrown into a panic by a violent attempt to overturn the result of a democratic election.

Said Biden: “This is not dissent. It’s disorder. It’s chaos. It borders on sedition. And it must end now.”

EU reacts: “I was deeply disturbed to witness the scenes coming out of Washington this evening. My thoughts are very much for the safety of you and your fellow colleagues and,” wrote European Parliament President David Sassoli in a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sent overnight and seen by Playbook, choosing words normally reserved to encourage democratic forces in autocracies: “I hope that order can be swiftly restored and that a peaceful transfer of power can take place, in line with the wishes of the American people.” More EU reactions here.

Further reading: In Europe, Wednesday’s violence “confirmed a grim conclusion that many leaders had reached long ago: that Trump was a symptom, not the cause, of something badly broken in America,” writes David Herszenhorn. And here’s more on how it all happened.

7-I-21, politico

 

A pro-Trump mob storms the Capitol

A normally ceremonial ritual in Congress exploded into chaos as protesters, egged on by President Trump at a morning rally, forced their way into the Capitol to stop the counting of electoral votes to confirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
Lawmakers were evacuated amid mayhem that shook the core of American democracy, before the police, reinforced by the F.B.I. and National Guard members in tactical gear, retook the Capitol complex after more than three hours. A woman who was shot inside the Capitol died, police officials said. Information was not released about who may have shot her.
Both chambers of Congress resumed the electoral count last night, dispensing with many of the objections planned earlier. Vice President Mike Pence had already notified Mr. Trump that he could not and would not upend the proceedings. Still, the disruption of the count injected uncertainty into the largely procedural action.
International reaction: The rest of the world watched the once-unimaginable scene unfolding in Washington with dismay for what it said both about the U.S. and about other nations.
“This is not merely a U.S. national issue, but it shakes the world, at least all democracies,” said Peter Beyer, Germany’s coordinator for trans-Atlantic affairs. Stéphane Séjourné, a member of the European Parliament, wrote on Twitter: “This is what happens when you sow hatred.”
Twitter ban: The social media site locked Mr. Trump’s account after he published inaccurate and inflammatory tweets during the day. Twitter said the account would be permanently suspended if he continued violating its policies against violent threats and election misinformation. Facebook later took the same step.
Staff resignations: In the hours after President Trump took to social media to openly condone violence at the Capitol, White House officials began submitting their resignations, with more expected to follow suit. Stephanie Grisham, the former White House press secretary who was the chief of staff for Melania Trump, the first lady, was among those who resigned.


Democrats hold 50 seats in the Senate after wins by Jon Ossoff, left, and the Rev. Raphael Warnock in Georgia.  Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Democrats gain control of the Senate

Victories in the two runoff elections in the state of Georgia, which were overshadowed by the violence in Washington, will reshape the balance of power in Congress.
Though the Democrats will have the thinnest of advantages in the House and the Senate, where Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will break the 50-50 tie, they will control committees as well as legislation and nominations brought to the floor.
The outcome prompted some Republicans to blame President Trump for dissuading voters with his assertions that Georgia’s elections were rigged. Mr. Trump’s single term in the White House will conclude with Republicans having lost the presidency, the House and the Senate on his watch.
Atlanta protest: The unrest in Washington spread to state capitals across the country, including Atlanta, where a gathering of protesters led to the evacuation of Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and some of his staff members.

Mr. Raffensperger had been heavily criticized by Trump supporters — and had received threats of violence against him and his wife — for certifying the results of Georgia’s presidential election, delivering the state’s 16 electoral votes to Mr. Biden.