Jim VandeHei: “There are no heroes here — courage brimmed only at the precipice. But a few people who watched the system breach, in the end, did not allow it to break. Only in time will we learn the reward or consequences of their actions.”
GOP Lawmaker Says Trump’s Legacy ‘Wiped Out’
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), a freshman congresswoman sworn in just days before President Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol, argued Thursday that the deadly siege had “wiped out” his administration’s legacy and any accomplishments he had achieved over the last four years, Politico reports.
Said Mace: “I’m disappointed right now. I think that after last night — and I’m on my 100th hour of being a member of Congress, I’m working on about two hours of sleep — I’m distraught. We’ve got to rebuild our nation, and we’ve got to rebuild our party. This is not who we are. It’s extremely distressing. And it’s saddening. It’s heartbreaking.”
Quote of the Day
“I’ve known Mike Pence forever. I’ve never seen Pence as angry as he was today. I had a long conversation with him. He said, ‘After all the things I’ve done for Trump.'”
— Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), quoted by Tulsa World, after President Trump directed his disdain toward Pence for refusing to interfere in the electoral vote count.
Remember These Names
The New York Times lists the lawmakers who objected to certifying Joe Biden’s victory.
The Day Trump Broke the GOP
“Republicans started the day losing the Senate. They ended it with President Donald Trump’s supporters losing their minds,” Politico reports.
“Jan. 6, 2021 might have been remembered for an intraparty battle over whether to certify Joe Biden’s election win or who to blame for the Georgia defeats. But instead it will go down as the day that broke the Republican Party as we know it and began the GOP’s ultimate reckoning with Trumpism.”
“It literally took a riot of Trump supporters in the Capitol for many Republicans to finally confront the defeated president — a moment of bedlam that put those GOP lawmakers’ own lives at risk. After his supporters stormed into the Capitol, vandalized the building and fought with police officers, several typically strong allies turned on Trump.”
Trump Loyalty Disintegrates
“President Trump was ensconced in the White House residence Wednesday night, raging about perceived betrayals, as an array of top aides weighed resigning and some senior administration officials began conversations about invoking the 25th Amendment — an extraordinary measure that would remove the president before Trump’s term expires on Jan. 20,” the Washington Post reports.
Politico: “What began as a rally intended to support Trump became a permanent and irreversible stain on his presidency Wednesday afternoon, as fans of the outgoing president stormed the U.S. Capitol — shattering windows, prompting evacuations and injuring law enforcement officials in the process — to temporarily halt the certification of his opponent’s 2020 victory.”
Congress Confirms Biden’s Election
“Congress certified the election of Joe Biden early Thursday, hours after a mob of loyalists urged on by President Trump stormed and occupied the Capitol, disrupting the final electoral count in a shocking display of violence that shook the core of American democracy,” the New York Times reports.
“Mr. Trump, who spent months stoking the anger of his supporters with false claims that the election was stolen and refused to condemn the violent protests on Wednesday, said early Thursday that there would be an orderly presidential transition this month.”
Said Trump: “Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th.”
Gaetz Booed On House Floor
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was booed on the House floor on Wednesday night when he said “some of the people who breached the Capitol today were not Trump supporters — they were masquerading as Trump supporters,” CBS News reports.
Giuliani Left Message on Wrong Senator’s Phone
Rudy Giuliani meant to call Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) this evening to ask him to object to 10 states’ electoral votes in order to buy the Trump campaign more time and “slow it down.”
But he accidentally left a voicemail on a different senator’s phone. The Dispatch has the audio.
Republicans Consider Drastic Actions to Stop Trump
“With 13 days left in President Trump’s term, confidants and Republican officials are considering drastic steps to stop him,” Axios reports.
“These measures include censure, impeachment or invoking the 25th Amendment — a move, long dismissed as a liberal fantasy, in which Vice President Pence would step in if Trump were found to be unable to perform his duties.”
“There’s concern about whether the country can withstand another two weeks with Trump at the helm, and what additional chaos and division could be sowed. There’s also rage inside the GOP at Sens. Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz and others whose plans to object to Biden’s certification gave oxygen to Trump, the protests and the notion that Congress could be used to overturn the will of voters.”
CNN: Angry Republican leaders float removing Trump from office.
Ex-Joint Chiefs Chair Says Trump Isn’t Done
Former Joint Chiefs Chair Mike Mullen told the PBS Newshour that President Trump “incited” the failed insurrection and is “not in position to lead the next 14 days.”
Said Mullen: “I don’t think we’re done. Today was not it. We need to act in a preventive way to prevent more from happening.”
He added that Trump is “desperate, doing anything he can to hold onto power–to the point of what I consider grossly illegal actions today.”
Top National Security Officials Consider Resigning
“Several of President Trump’s top aides — including national security adviser Robert O’Brien — are considering resigning in the wake of his response to a pro-Trump mob breaching the US Capitol on Wednesday,” CNN reports.
“O’Brien, deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger and deputy chief of staff Chris Liddell are all considering resigning… Pottinger’s resignation appears to be imminent, while others could sleep on it.”
Elaine Chao Mulls Resigning
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who is also the wife of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), is considering resigning her post in protest of President Trump inciting violence, NBC News reports.
Some Cabinet Members Discussing 25th Amendment
White House Expects More Resignations
White House social secretary Rickie Niceta has resigned, effective immediately, CNN reports.
White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews also resigned, Fox News reports.
A source close to President Trump tells the New York Times that more resignations are expected in the next 24 hours.
Cotton Calls on Trump to Concede
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) called on President Trump to concede his election loss to President-elect Joe Biden, saying he should “quit misleading” the American people, The Hill reports.
Said Cotton: “It’s past time for the president to accept the results of the election, quit misleading the American people, and repudiate mob violence.”
Earlier for members: Tom Cotton Has Learned Trump’s Loyalty Lesson
Washington Post Calls for Trump’s Removal
From a Washington Post editorial:
“President Trump’s refusal to accept his election defeat and his relentless incitement of his supporters led Wednesday to the unthinkable: an assault on the U.S. Capitol by a violent mob that overwhelmed police and drove Congress from its chambers as it was debating the counting of electoral votes.”
“Responsibility for this act of sedition lies squarely with the president, who has shown that his continued tenure in office poses a grave threat to U.S. democracy. He should be removed.”
New Lawmaker Slammed for Saying ‘Hitler Was Right’
“Newly sworn-in Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) was under intense criticism from fellow lawmakers and others on Wednesday over comments she made during a speech in Washington, D.C., in which she invoked Adolf Hitler,” the Chicago Tribune reports.
Said Miller, on video: “If we win a few elections, we’re still going to be losing unless we win the hearts and minds of our children. This is the battle. Hitler was right on one thing. He said, ‘Whoever has the youth has the future.'”
