Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf on Tuesday urged President Donald Trump and other officials in his administration to publicly condemn Wednesday's takeover of the US Capitol building by angry Trump supporters
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th January, 2021) Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf on Tuesday urged President Donald Trump and other officials in his administration to publicly condemn Wednesday's takeover of the US Capitol building by angry Trump supporters.
"Any appearance of inciting violence by an elected official goes against who we are as Americans," Wolf said in a statement. "I implore the President and all elected officials to strongly condemn the violence that took place yesterday."
Wolf also said he planned to remain in office until the January 20 inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden to help ensure an orderly transition of power.
Several other senior officials have resigned in the wake of the incident, including Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger, Special Envoy Mick Mulvaney and National Security Council senior director for European and Russian Affairs Ryan Tully.
Wednesday began with a Trump rally near the White House with the president telling tens of thousands of supporters to march to Capitol Hill to protest election results while repeating unsubstantiated claims that his defeat resulted from massive election fraud.
Trump responded later in the day with a tepid statement urging supporters to leave the Capitol as lawmakers sheltered in locked offices as Federal police battled protesters and at least four people died during the melee.
In a late-night session of Congress after police secured the Capitol, lawmakers voted to certify Biden's victory.
