WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump appeared to excuse the violent occupation of the U.S. Capitol by his supporters Wednesday, hours after they stormed the symbol of American democracy in an effort to disrupt the formalization of his electoral defeat.
Trump, who had encouraged his supporters to march on the Capitol to protest lawmakers' actions, expressed empathy for the mob, which forced its way inside, clashed with police and forced lawmakers into hiding.
kAmQ%96D6 2C6 E96 E9:?8D 2?5 6G6?ED E92E 92AA6? H96? 2 D24C65 =2?5D=:56 6=64E:@? G:4E@CJ :D D@ F?46C6>@?:@FD=J U2>Aj G:4:@FD=J DEC:AA65 2H2J 7C@> 8C62E A2EC:@ED H9@ 92G6 366? 325=J U2>Aj F?72:C=J EC62E65 7@C D@ =@?8[Q %CF>A HC@E6 :? 2 >6DD286 E92E H2D =2E6C 56=6E65 3J %H:EE6C] w6 25565[ Qv@ 9@>6 H:E9 =@G6 U2>Aj :? A6246] #6>6>36C E9:D 52J 7@C6G6CPQk^Am
kAmx? 2? 62C=:6C G:56@ 96 925 AC2:D65 E96 AC@E6DE6CD 2D QDA64:2=Q A6@A=6 2?5 D2:5 96 F?56CDE@@5 E96:C A2:?] %H:EE6C =2E6C =@4<65 9:D 244@F?E 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 2D :E 56>2?565 96 C6>@G6 E96 EH66ED 2?5 E9C62E6?65 QA6C>2?6?E DFDA6?D:@?]Qk^Am
kAm%CF>A DA6?E >F49 @7 (65?6D52J 27E6C?@@? H2E49:?8 E96 :?DFCC64E:@? @? E6=6G:D:@? 7C@> 9:D AC:G2E6 5:?:?8 C@@> @77 E96 ~G2= ~77:46] qFE 2D:56 7C@> 2AA62=D 7@C 42=> :DDF65 2E E96 :?D:DE6?46 @7 9:D DE277[ 96 H2D =2C86=J 5:D6?82865]k^Am
kAmp (9:E6 w@FD6 @77:4:2= D2:5 >@DE @7 %CF>AVD 2EE6?E:@? H2D 4@?DF>65 3J 9:D :C6 2E ':46 !C6D:56?E |:<6 !6?46[ H9@ D2:5 96 H@F=5 ?@E @G6CEFC? E96 H:== @7 G@E6CD :? E96 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 6=64E@C2= 4@F?E] %96 @77:4:2= H2D ?@E 2FE9@C:K65 E@ 5:D4FDD E96 >2EE6C 2?5 DA@<6 @?=J @? E96 4@?5:E:@? @7 2?@?J>:EJ]k^Am
kAm%96 G:@=6?46[ 4@FA=65 H:E9 E96 AC6D:56?EVD C6DA@?D6[ 2AA62C65 E@ 5C:G6 >2?J #6AF3=:42?D E@ E96 3C62<:?8 A@:?E 27E6C J62CD @7 2==68:2?46 E@ %CF>A] x? 2 D:8? @7 8C@H:?8 7CFDEC2E:@?[ 2 ?F>36C @7 (9:E6 w@FD6 2:56D H6C6 5:D4FDD:?8 2 A@E6?E:2= >2DD C6D:8?2E:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ A6@A=6 72>:=:2C H:E9 E96 4@?G6CD2E:@?[ 2=E9@F89 D@>6 92C3@C65 4@?46C?D 23@FE H92E %CF>A >:89E 5@ :? 9:D 7:?2= EH@ H66<D :? @77:46 :7 E96J H6C6 ?@E E96C6 E@ D6CG6 2D 8F2C5C2:=D]k^Am
kAm$E6A92?:6 vC:D92>[ E96 7:CDE =25JVD 49:67 @7 DE277 2?5 2 7@C>6C (9:E6 w@FD6 AC6DD D64C6E2CJ[ DF3>:EE65 96C C6D:8?2E:@? (65?6D52J[ 3FE 564=:?65 E@ D2J H92E 92D AC@>AE65 96C >@G6] (9:E6 w@FD6 D@4:2= D64C6E2CJ #:4<:6 }:46E2 2?5 56AFEJ AC6DD D64C6E2CJ $2C29 |2EE96HD 2=D@ C6D:8?65] |@C6 56A2CEFC6D H6C6 6IA64E65 :? E96 4@>:?8 52JD[ @77:4:2=D D2:5]k^Am
kAm%CF>A 92D 366? 7@4FD65 @? 9:D 6=64E@C2= 56762E D:?46 t=64E:@? s2J[ 2:56D D2:5[ 2E E96 6IA6?D6 @7 E96 @E96C C6DA@?D:3:=:E:6D @7 9:D @77:46[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 7:89E 282:?DE E96 4@C@?2G:CFD] x?5665[ :E H2D !6?46[ ?@E %CF>A[ H9@ DA@<6 H:E9 E96 24E:?8 5676?D6 D64C6E2CJ E@ 5:D4FDD >@3:=:K:?8 E96 s]r }2E:@?2= vF2C5 @? (65?6D52J 27E6C?@@?]k^Am
kAm%CF>A @?=J C6=F4E2?E=J :DDF65 E96 EH66ED 2?5 E2A65 2 G:56@ 6?4@FC28:?8 2? 6?5 E@ E96 G:@=6?46] %96 A@DED 42>6 2E E96 :?D:DE6?46 @7 DE277 2?5 2>:5 >@F?E:?8 4C:E:4:D> 7C@> #6AF3=:42? =2H>2<6CD FC8:?8 9:> E@ 4@?56>? E96 G:@=6?46 36:?8 A6CA6EC2E65 :? 9:D ?2>6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 @77:4:2=]k^Am
kAmp?5 6G6? 2D 2FE9@C:E:6D DECF88=65 E@ E2<6 4@?EC@= @7 r2A:E@= w:== 27E6C AC@E6DE6CD @G6CH96=>65 A@=:46[ %CF>A 4@?E:?F65 E@ =6G6= 2==682E:@?D @7 >2DD G@E6C 7C2F5 2?5 AC2:D65 9:D =@J2=:DED 2D QG6CJ DA64:2=]Qk^Am
kAmQx <?@H J@FC A2:?] x <?@H J@FC 9FCE] qFE J@F 92G6 E@ 8@ 9@>6 ?@H[Q 96 D2:5 :? 2 G:56@ A@DE65 >@C6 E92? h_ >:?FE6D 27E6C =2H>2<6CD H6C6 6G24F2E65 7C@> E96 w@FD6 2?5 $6?2E6 492>36CD] Q(6 42?VE A=2J :?E@ E96 92?5D @7 E96D6 A6@A=6] (6 92G6 E@ 92G6 A6246] $@ 8@ 9@>6] (6 =@G6 J@F] *@FVC6 G6CJ DA64:2=]Qk^Am
kAmw@FCD 62C=:6C[ %CF>A 925 2AA62C65 2E 2 >2DD:G6 C2==J ?62C E96 (9:E6 w@FD6[ H96C6 96 4@?E:?F65 E@ FC86 DFAA@CE6CD E@ 7:89E E96 6=64E:@? C6DF=ED 2?5 6?4@FC2865 E96> E@ >2C49 E@ E96 r2A:E@=] pE @?6 A@:?E[ 96 6G6? DF886DE65 96 >:89E ;@:? E96> \ 2 AC@DA64E E92E H2D 5:D4FDD65 3J E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 3FE 6G6?EF2==J 232?5@?65]k^Am
kAmQ(6VC6 8@:?8 E@ H2=< 5@H? !6??DJ=G2?:2 pG6?F6 ]]] 2?5 H6VC6 8@:?8 E@ E96 r2A:E@= ]]] H6VC6 8@:?8 E@ ECJ 2?5 8:G6 @FC #6AF3=:42?D ]]] E96 <:?5 @7 AC:56 2?5 3@=5?6DD E92E E96J ?665 E@ E2<6 324< @FC 4@F?ECJ[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmt2C=:6C :? E96 C2==J[ 9:D =2HJ6C[ #F5J v:F=:2?:[ 925 25G@42E65 H92E 96 925 42==65 QEC:2= 3J 4@>32E]Qk^Am
kAm#6AF3=:42? =2H>2<6CD 2?5 7@C>6C 25>:?:DEC2E:@? @77:4:2=D 368865 E96 AC6D:56?E E@ :?E6CG6?6 2D E96 G:@=6?46 DA:C2=65]k^Am
kAmQx 42==65 9:>] x E9:?< H6 ?665 E@ >2<6 2 DE2E6>6?E[ >2<6 DFC6 E92E H6 42? 42=> :?5:G:5F2=D 5@H?[Q w@FD6 v~! =6256C z6G:? |4r2CE9J @7 r2=:7@C?:2 E@=5 u@I }6HD]k^Am
kAmp $6?2E6 2==J[ #6AF3=:42? |2C4@ #F3:@ @7 u=@C:52[ 2AA62=65 5:C64E=J E@ E96 AC6D:56?E :? 2 EH66Ei Q|C] !C6D:56?E oC62=s@?2=5%CF>A E96 >6? U2>Aj H@>6? @7 =2H 6?7@C46>6?E 2C6 F?56C 2DD2F=E] xE :D 4CF4:2= J@F 96=A C6DE@C6 @C56C 3J D6?5:?8 C6D@FC46D E@ 2DD:DE E96 A@=:46 2?5 2D< E9@D6 5@:?8 E9:D E@ DE2?5 5@H?]Qk^Am
kAm#6A] |:<6 v2==2896C[ #\(:D][ A@DE65 2 G:56@ >6DD286 FC8:?8 %CF>A E@ Q42== :E @77]Qk^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D 32?2?2 C6AF3=:4 4C2A E92E H6VC6 H2E49:?8 C:89E ?@H[Q D2:5 v2==2896C[ H9@ 925 DA@<6? @FE 282:?DE @3;64E:@?D 7C@> 76==@H #6AF3=:42?D E@ 46CE:7J:?8 E96 t=64E@C2= r@==686 G@E6 E92E q:56? H@?]k^Am
kAmu@C>6C (9:E6 w@FD6 DE277 2=D@ :DDF65 A=62D]k^Am