In a 2:41 video posted on the White House YouTube channel on Thursday evening, President Donald Trump delivered a message to the nation beginning with the following words: “I would like to begin by addressing the heinous attack on the United States Capitol. Like all Americans, I am outraged by the violence, lawlessness, and mayhem. I immediately deployed the National Guard and federal law enforcement to secure the building and expel the intruders.”
President Trump elaborated: “America is and must always be a nation of law and order. The demonstrators who infiltrated the capital have defiled the seat of American democracy. To those who engaged in the acts violence and destruction: You do not represent our country. And to those who broke the law: You will pay.”
Trump went on to call for a peaceful transfer of power and for national unity, and he vowed that he and his movement are not going to be driven from the American political scene. “We have just been through an intense election, and emotions are high. But now tempers must be calmed and calm restored. We must get on with the business of America.” He concluded: “To the citizens of our country, serving as your President has been the honor of my lifetime. And to all of my wonderful supporters, I know you are disappointed, but I also want you to know that our incredible journey is only just beginning.”
