Barack Obama blames Trump for the attack on Capitol

“We’d be kidding ourselves if we treated [this] as a total surprise.”

U.S former President Barack Obama issued a statement on Wednesday condemning the attack by Trump supporters on the US Capitol while President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris were being certified by Congress. He said the event shouldn’t be treated as a “total surprise” as it was much anticipated.

The Republican rioters broke through the doors of the Capitol building, smashing windows and other properties, and causing a scene outside the building. In a little-to-late response to that, President Trump refused to outwardly condemn the riot but rather said he “loved them” and they were “special” to him.

Obama also took to Twitter to condemn the violence the Trump supporters launched against the Capitol. He identified several factors that were perceived to have led to the riot. The most obvious being that President Donald Trump and some of his allies spread rumors about the election results, claiming the results were false and inconclusive. This stirred up discontent among the Trump supporters.

“For two months now, a political party and its accompanying media ecosystem has too often been unwilling to tell their followers the truth – that this was not a particularly close election and that President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated on January 20,” Obama said in a tweet. “Their fantasy narrative has spiraled further and further from reality, and it builds upon years of sown resentments. Now, we’re seeing the consequences, whipped up into a violent crescendo.”

It was reportedly stated that President Trump, on Wednesday, urged his supporters to march up to the Capitol and express their dissatisfaction with the election results, which were already in the process of becoming certified. In addition to that, about 24 House Republicans and Republican senators planned to object to the results of specific states. Obama added that President Trump’s delusion and false statements about the 2020 election results and his irresponsible accusations caused Wednesday’s riot. He said Americans were seeing the results of “sown resentments” of their false narrative of the elections.

“History will rightly remember today’s violence at the Capitol incited by a sitting president who has continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election, as a moment of great dishonor and shame for our nation,” Obama wrote in a tweet.

Former President Obama then suggested that the Republican lawmakers should take a stand to oppose President Trump’s baseless claims about the election as they concluded the Electoral College vote count.

“Republican leaders have a choice made clear in the desecrated chambers of democracy,” said Obama. “They can continue down this road and keep stoking the raging fires. Or they can choose reality and take the first steps toward extinguishing the flames. They can choose America.”

In concluding his statement, Obama commended Congress Republicans who set aside their original plan of objecting some states to outwardly condemn the riot incited by President Trump.

“I’ve been heartened to see many members of the President’s party speak up forcefully today. Their voices added to the examples of the Republican state and local elections officials in states like Georgia who’ve refused to be intimidated and have discharged their duties honorably,” Obama said in conclusion. “We need more leaders like these – right now in the days, weeks, and months ahead as President-Elect Biden works to restore a common purpose to our politics.”