- President Trump has pledged that they will be an orderly transition of power on January 20th
- This comes a day after Congress upheld the election of Joe Biden as President in November 2020
- Trump had repeatedly claimed that the election was rigged which culminated in his supporters invading Capitol Building on Wednesday
President Donald Trump has committed that there will be an orderly transition of power from him to President-elect Joe Biden on January 20th.
President Trump’s statement comes in the wake of unrest witnessed on Wednesday when his supporters invaded Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
Mr Trump’s remarks, posted on Twitter following a suspension, were widely seen as his first public acknowledgement of electoral defeat since the elections in November 2020.
He spoke as top Democrats called for him to be removed from office.
The breach of the seat of US government led to the evacuation of shocked lawmakers, postponing for several hours their certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over Mr Trump.
In his statement, Trump said:
“Now Congress has certified the results a new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th,” he said.
“My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power. This moment calls for healing and reconciliation.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2021
President Trump said he had “immediately deployed” the National Guard to expel the intruders, though some US media reported he had hesitated to send in the troops, leaving his vice-president to give the order.
He also praised his “wonderful supporters” and promised “our incredible journey is only just beginning”.
The video message was the closest he has come to a formal acceptance of his defeat after weeks of falsely insisting he actually won the election in a “landslide”.
