U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he departs the White House on travel to visit the U.S.-Mexico border Wall in Texas, in Washington, U.S., January 12, 2021.
Kevin Lemarque | Reuters
President Donald Trump on Tuesday doubled down the type of incendiary rhetoric that incited the Capitol riot last week, warning that it was dangerous to the United States for him to be impeached for his conduct.
Trump also claimed that his inflammatory comments at a rally shortly before the invasion of the halls of Congress by thousands of his supporters on Wednesday were not harmful.
“People thought what I said was totally appropriate,” Trump told reporters before traveling to Texas, when he was asked what his personal responsibility was for the violence, which came after he and his family members urged supporters to fight for him.
But he again used the type of language that critics say fueled the riots, calling the planned impeachment by the House of Representatives the “continuation of the greatest witch hunt in politics.”
“Ridiculous … absolutely ridiculous,” Trump said of that effort, led by Democrats, in what were his first comments to the media since the riot, which killed a Capitol police officer, and left four others dead.
Trump said it is a “terrible thing what they’re doing.”
“It’s causing a tremendous danger to our country, and anger,” the president said.
Trump then said, “I want no violence.”
Yet he did not condemn the violence at the Capitol, which was motivated to protest against and prevent the certification by Congress of the election of Joe Biden as the next president.
Trump did not answer when asked if he would resign before the end of his term next week.
The president, who has been banned from a slew of social media platforms since last week because of his comments also, said “I think Big Tech has made a terrible mistake.”
In an apparent reference to his ban on Twitter and elsewhere, Trump said it is “very, very bad for our country and that’s leading others to do the same thing.”
“And it causes a lot of problems and a lot of danger. Big mistake. They shouldn’t be doing it,” the president said.
“But there’s always a counter move when they do that. I’ve never seen such anger as I see right now and that’s a terrible thing.”
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
