US President Donald Trump, for the first time, admitted his defeat in the presidential election in a video and acknowledged the change in administration.
While President Trump did not congratulate President-elect Joe Biden, he recognized in the video that a change in administration is underway. This comes a day after violent protests erupted at the US Capitol.
Rallies at statehouses and US Capitol
Trump supporters rallied at statehouses across the country and at the Capitol to protest against the counting of Electoral College votes.
For months, the outgoing Republican president falsely claimed that there was election fraud. Trump supporters stormed statehouses in Georgia, Washington, Ohio, Michigan, California, Kansas, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and other states.
"It is unimaginable that we have people in our state & country who are undermining public safety, attacking law enforcement, & breaking into gov’t buildings. This is not the GA way & it’s not the way of our country. These activities are a disgrace & quite honestly un-American," Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp said on Twitter.
President-elect Joe Biden condemned the protests at Capitol and called on President Donald Trump to urge rioters to leave.
Biden, who will officially become president on January 20, expressed his dismay at the rioters and asked law enforcement to stop the rally in Washington.
"At this hour, our democracy is under unprecedented assault, unlike anything we’ve seen in modern times," the president-elect said from Wilmington, Delaware. "Let me be very clear: The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect the true America, do not represent who we are."
"I’m genuinely shocked and saddened that our nation, so long a beacon of hope and light for democracy, has come to such a dark moment," he added. "America’s about honor, decency, respect, tolerance. That’s who we are. That’s who we’ve always been."
Biden also urged Trump to make a public announcement asking the rioters to leave the Capitol as soon as possible.
Trump's suspension from Twitter, Facebook
Social media firms Twitter and Facebook decided to suspend US President Donald Trump from their platforms following attacks of his supporters on the US Capitol.
According to Twitter, it removed three tweets from Trump for "severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy" and said the president’s account would be permanently locked if the tweets were not removed.
Facebook and Instagram also banned Trump from posting for 24 hours while YouTube removed the video where he told protesters "I love you" and called people attacking the Capitol complex as "patriots".
YouTube said the video was removed because it "violated policies on spreading election fraud".
"The violent protests in the Capitol today are a disgrace. We prohibit incitement and calls for violence on our platform. We are actively reviewing and removing any content that breaks these rules," Facebook stated.
Acknowledging defeat
In his latest video, Trump said: "A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power."
"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," Trump continued.
According to a White House adviser, Trump recorded the video only because of threats to his presidency from looming resignations and potential impeachment. "I think that video was done only because almost all his senior staff was about to resign, and impeachment is imminent," claimed the adviser.
"That message and tone should have been relayed election night... not after people died," the adviser added.
