Debate: Are WE sleeping on Trump like the Jewish people slept on... Trump running in 2024
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Senator Josh Hawley to contest the 2020 Electoral College results
The Missouri Republican said on Wednesday that he intends to object to the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election when Congress meets in a joint session on January 6 to formally count the Electoral College votes. The move will not alter the result of the 2020 presidential election, according to several reports, but will
The Missouri Republican said on Wednesday that he intends to object to the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election when Congress meets in a joint session on January 6 to formally count the Electoral College votes. The move will not alter the result of the 2020 presidential election, according to several reports, but will
Even Walmart is tired of the BS...
heavy.com
Walmart Calls Sen. Josh Hawley a 'Sore Loser' in Quickly Deleted Tweet
Walmart tweeted that Sen. Josh Hawley was a 'sore loser' after he said he was going to object to the Electoral College vote.
heavy.com
This didn’t age well... *chuckles*
I completely disagree.
For starters the legislative branch overruled his veto on the defense bill. Also, since he lost the election more Republicans are casting him off like yesterday's drawers.
Hitler had people put to death for doing things like that.
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Raffensperger calls Trump 'just plain wrong' after election call
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media captionDonald Trump: "I just want to find 11,780 votes"
Georgia's top election official Brad Raffensperger has called President Donald Trump's false claims that he won the state in 2020 "just plain wrong".
Mr Raffensperger's comment came after Mr Trump pressured him in a phone call to "find" votes proving his win.
Criticism of Mr Trump's call has been widespread, with some claiming that it amounts to illegal vote tampering.
Republicans fear that the call could undermine their efforts to win two Senate races in Georgia on Tuesday.
If Republicans win both Georgia senate seats in the run-off election, they will retain control of the Senate. If their candidates lose, Democrats will control the Senate, House of Representatives and White House.
"He did most of the talking. We did most of the listening," Mr Raffensperger told ABC News on Monday. "But I did want to make my points that the data that he has is just plain wrong," he said, describing what he told the president's team during the hour-long call on Saturday.
"He had hundreds and hundreds of people he said that were dead that voted. We found two, that's an example of just - he has bad data," he added.
IMAGE COPYRIGHTEPA
image captionBrad Raffensperger previously warned that debunked claims about voting fraud were "hurting our state"
'I just want to find 11,780 votes'
In Saturday's phone call, Mr Trump can be heard alternately cajoling and pressuring Georgia's secretary of state to "recalculate" the vote tally.
"I just want to find 11,780 votes," he said. The number would have given him a total of 2,473,634 votes in the state, one more than Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, who received 2,473,633 votes.
He also accused Mr Raffensperger - a fellow Republican - of shredding ballots and engaging in criminal acts that cost Mr Trump the election. He called the disproven allegations "a criminal offence," adding that it presents "a big risk to you".
Mr Raffensperger responded by pointing out that Mr Trump's campaign has lost several legal challenges in court, saying: "The challenge you have, Mr President, is that the data you have is wrong."
media captionWhat's in store for US President-elect Biden in 2021? Senior North America reporter Anthony Zurcher looks ahead
What has reaction been?
Vice-president-elect Kamala Harris, who was in Georgia on Sunday to campaign for the Democratic senate candidates, called Mr Trump's call "a bold abuse of power".
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, a Democrat, said Mr Trump was "unhinged and dangerous" and that his call to Mr Raffensperger merited "nothing less than a criminal investigation".
Georgia's Republican Lt Governor added to the criticism on Monday, telling CNN: "I am 100% certified to tell you that it was inappropriate. And it certainly did not help the situation."
"It was based on misinformation," continued Geoff Duncan, whose boss Governor Brad Kemp has faced calls from Mr Trump to resign. "It was based on, you know, all types of theories that have been debunked and disproved over the course of the last 10 weeks."
Will it impact Tuesday's election?
The Senate run-offs in Georgia have drawn national attention.
On Monday, Mr Trump, Mr Biden and Vice-president Mike Pence are all holding rallies in the state on behalf of their chosen candidates ahead of Tuesday's vote.
It comes as nearly 3 million Georgia voters - around half of those that voted in the November general election - have already cast their ballots.
Republican Georgia Senator David Perdue, who is fighting to hold his seat in Tuesday's race, has sided with the president.
"To have a statewide elected official, regardless of party, tape without disclosing a conversation - private conversation - with the president of the United States, and then leaking it to the press is disgusting," he told Fox News.
He also dismissed claims of wrongdoing by Mr Trump, saying: "I didn't hear anything in that tape that the president hasn't already said for weeks now since the November election."
Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff said the call was "a direct attack on our democracy," and accused Mr Perdue and fellow Republican Senate candidate Kelly Loeffler of failing to defend "Georgia voters from that kind of assault".
Raphael Warnock, who is also running as a Democrat, called upon Senator Loeffler to "speak out against these unsubstantiated claims of fraud, defend Georgia's elections, and to put Georgia ahead of herself".
During a campaign appearance on Monday, Mrs Loeffler refused to respond to a question about the phone call, instead telling reporters: "My sole focus is on tomorrow's election."
"I am focused on that exclusively because this affects every single Georgian," she added.
www.bbc.com
Published1 hour ago
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media captionDonald Trump: "I just want to find 11,780 votes"
Georgia's top election official Brad Raffensperger has called President Donald Trump's false claims that he won the state in 2020 "just plain wrong".
Mr Raffensperger's comment came after Mr Trump pressured him in a phone call to "find" votes proving his win.
Criticism of Mr Trump's call has been widespread, with some claiming that it amounts to illegal vote tampering.
Republicans fear that the call could undermine their efforts to win two Senate races in Georgia on Tuesday.
If Republicans win both Georgia senate seats in the run-off election, they will retain control of the Senate. If their candidates lose, Democrats will control the Senate, House of Representatives and White House.
"He did most of the talking. We did most of the listening," Mr Raffensperger told ABC News on Monday. "But I did want to make my points that the data that he has is just plain wrong," he said, describing what he told the president's team during the hour-long call on Saturday.
"He had hundreds and hundreds of people he said that were dead that voted. We found two, that's an example of just - he has bad data," he added.
IMAGE COPYRIGHTEPA
image captionBrad Raffensperger previously warned that debunked claims about voting fraud were "hurting our state"
'I just want to find 11,780 votes'
In Saturday's phone call, Mr Trump can be heard alternately cajoling and pressuring Georgia's secretary of state to "recalculate" the vote tally.
"I just want to find 11,780 votes," he said. The number would have given him a total of 2,473,634 votes in the state, one more than Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, who received 2,473,633 votes.
He also accused Mr Raffensperger - a fellow Republican - of shredding ballots and engaging in criminal acts that cost Mr Trump the election. He called the disproven allegations "a criminal offence," adding that it presents "a big risk to you".
Mr Raffensperger responded by pointing out that Mr Trump's campaign has lost several legal challenges in court, saying: "The challenge you have, Mr President, is that the data you have is wrong."
media captionWhat's in store for US President-elect Biden in 2021? Senior North America reporter Anthony Zurcher looks ahead
What has reaction been?
Vice-president-elect Kamala Harris, who was in Georgia on Sunday to campaign for the Democratic senate candidates, called Mr Trump's call "a bold abuse of power".
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, a Democrat, said Mr Trump was "unhinged and dangerous" and that his call to Mr Raffensperger merited "nothing less than a criminal investigation".
Georgia's Republican Lt Governor added to the criticism on Monday, telling CNN: "I am 100% certified to tell you that it was inappropriate. And it certainly did not help the situation."
"It was based on misinformation," continued Geoff Duncan, whose boss Governor Brad Kemp has faced calls from Mr Trump to resign. "It was based on, you know, all types of theories that have been debunked and disproved over the course of the last 10 weeks."
Will it impact Tuesday's election?
The Senate run-offs in Georgia have drawn national attention.
On Monday, Mr Trump, Mr Biden and Vice-president Mike Pence are all holding rallies in the state on behalf of their chosen candidates ahead of Tuesday's vote.
It comes as nearly 3 million Georgia voters - around half of those that voted in the November general election - have already cast their ballots.
Republican Georgia Senator David Perdue, who is fighting to hold his seat in Tuesday's race, has sided with the president.
"To have a statewide elected official, regardless of party, tape without disclosing a conversation - private conversation - with the president of the United States, and then leaking it to the press is disgusting," he told Fox News.
He also dismissed claims of wrongdoing by Mr Trump, saying: "I didn't hear anything in that tape that the president hasn't already said for weeks now since the November election."
Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff said the call was "a direct attack on our democracy," and accused Mr Perdue and fellow Republican Senate candidate Kelly Loeffler of failing to defend "Georgia voters from that kind of assault".
Raphael Warnock, who is also running as a Democrat, called upon Senator Loeffler to "speak out against these unsubstantiated claims of fraud, defend Georgia's elections, and to put Georgia ahead of herself".
During a campaign appearance on Monday, Mrs Loeffler refused to respond to a question about the phone call, instead telling reporters: "My sole focus is on tomorrow's election."
"I am focused on that exclusively because this affects every single Georgian," she added.
Raffensperger calls Trump 'just plain wrong' after election call
Georgia's top election official says Trump cited "bad data" when he asked him to "find" more votes.
www.bbc.com
Woman dies after being shot at US Capitol, NBC News, AP and WaPo report
A woman died after being shot by a member of law enforcement, as a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol, according to reporters from Associated Press, NBC News and The Washington Post. AP and NBC News confirmed that the shooting occurred, although exact details have not been verified.
A woman died after being shot by a member of law enforcement, as a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol, according to reporters from Associated Press, NBC News and The Washington Post. AP and NBC News confirmed that the shooting occurred, although exact details have not been verified.
The Latest: Pelosi says Congress to resume once Capitol safe
12 minutes ago
1 of 15
Supporters of President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Congress’ tally of the Electoral College vote won by Joe Biden (all times local):
6:55 p.m.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Congress will resume the Electoral College proceedings once the Capitol is cleared of pro-Donald Trump protesters and safe for use
Pelosi said she made the decision Wednesday in consultation with the Pentagon, the Justice Department and the vice president, who will preside.
She noted the day would always be “part of history,” but now it would be “as such a shameful picture of our country was put out into the world.”
Trump had encouraged his supporters to come to Washington to fight Congress’ formal approval of President-elect Joe Biden’s win.
He held a rally earlier Wednesday and urged his supporters to march to the Capitol, telling them to “get rid of the weak Congress people” and saying, “get the weak ones get out; this is the time for strength.”
Trump supporters breached the Capitol building and clashed with law enforcement before disrupting Congress’ tallying of the Electoral College votes. Trump has repeatedly told his supporters that the November election was stolen from him, even though that is not true.
12 minutes ago
1 of 15
Supporters of President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Congress’ tally of the Electoral College vote won by Joe Biden (all times local):
6:55 p.m.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Congress will resume the Electoral College proceedings once the Capitol is cleared of pro-Donald Trump protesters and safe for use
Pelosi said she made the decision Wednesday in consultation with the Pentagon, the Justice Department and the vice president, who will preside.
She noted the day would always be “part of history,” but now it would be “as such a shameful picture of our country was put out into the world.”
Trump had encouraged his supporters to come to Washington to fight Congress’ formal approval of President-elect Joe Biden’s win.
He held a rally earlier Wednesday and urged his supporters to march to the Capitol, telling them to “get rid of the weak Congress people” and saying, “get the weak ones get out; this is the time for strength.”
Trump supporters breached the Capitol building and clashed with law enforcement before disrupting Congress’ tallying of the Electoral College votes. Trump has repeatedly told his supporters that the November election was stolen from him, even though that is not true.
Romney tells Republican colleagues 'this is what you've gotten' as Senate shelters in breached Capitol
Jeva Lange
Wed, January 6, 2021, 3:16 PM EST
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) put the blame for the chaos unfolding in the Capitol on Wednesday firmly on the shoulders of his Republican colleagues: "This is what you've gotten, guys," Romney was heard yelling as "mayhem unfolded in the Senate chamber, apparently addressing his colleagues who were leading the charge to press Mr. Trump's false claims of a stolen election," The New York Times reports.
Protesters breached the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, flooding the building and breaking into both chambers of Congress, sending lawmakers into terrified lockdowns. Sheltering with some members of the press, Romney reportedly called over Jonathan Martin of the Times to make it known, "This is what the president has caused today, this insurrection."
After a day that saw the U.S. Capitol mobbed by Trump supporters and the temporary suspension of Trump from Twitter and Facebook for continuing to spread fraudulent information about the 2020 election, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert pulled an audible and aired a live episode to unpack the events of the day. In his nine-minute monologue, an emotional Colbert revealed how deeply the riots at the Capitol have impacted him. “I’ve rarely been as upset as I am tonight,” Colbert said, “and I’m sure you are too.” He goes on to ask one question of Republicans that supported Trump, specifically the Republicans in the joint session of Congress that convened today: “Have you had enough?” After lambasting Republicans for “five years of coddling this president’s fascist rhetoric,” Colbert suggests Wednesday’s deadly riot was almost a foregone conclusion due. “Who could have seen this coming? Everyone? Even dummies like me,” Colbert says. “This is the most shocking, most tragic, least surprising thing I’ve ever seen.” Yeah, no kidding.
Colbert continues his rebuke of Wednesday’s riot, calling out “the Republican senators that let this happen,” specifically Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, for “raising his stupid fist to the mob outside the Capitol” in a show of solidarity with the rioters. “Obviously he has to keep his fist closed,” Colbert quipped, “because if he opened it you’d see all the blood on his hands.” Colbert also called out Fox News for “years of peddling his conspiracy theories.” “It’s a horrifying day that will go down in U.S. history, however much longer that is,” Colbert laments. You can watch Colbert’s full monologue above.
Several White House officials resign following violence at US Capitol
Several White House officials have handed in their resignations after a pro-Trump mob stormed the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Wednesday. President Trump’s former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and top European and Russian official on the National Security Council Ryan Tully were among those who resigned on Thursday. First lady Melania Trump's chief of staff Stephanie Grisham, White House Social Secretary Rickie Niceta and Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews all quit on Wednesday.
"Stephanie Grisham, the chief of staff to first lady Melania Trump and former White House press secretary, was the first announced her resignation. Deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews resigned a short time later, as did White House social secretary Rickie Niceta, a White House official confirmed." — The Hill
Several White House officials have handed in their resignations after a pro-Trump mob stormed the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Wednesday. President Trump’s former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and top European and Russian official on the National Security Council Ryan Tully were among those who resigned on Thursday. First lady Melania Trump's chief of staff Stephanie Grisham, White House Social Secretary Rickie Niceta and Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews all quit on Wednesday.
"Stephanie Grisham, the chief of staff to first lady Melania Trump and former White House press secretary, was the first announced her resignation. Deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews resigned a short time later, as did White House social secretary Rickie Niceta, a White House official confirmed." — The Hill
No your honour I only brought the duct tape, rope, shovel and lime, I didn't kill or bury anyone.
Pro-Trump mob chases lone Black police officer up stairs in Capitol – video
A journalist captured the moment a lone Black police officer was confronted by pro-Trump supporters who had stormed into the US Capitol in what lawmakers condemned as an attempted insurrection aimed at overturning the results of an American election
www.theguardian.com
Jon Cherry/Getty Images
Reporter Robert Moore and producer Sophie Alexander captured some of Wednesday's most poignant footage as the first crew to enter the U.S. Capitol with pro-Trump rioters.
As thousands of Trump supporters descended on the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, attempting to derail Congress' confirmation of Joe Biden's presidential victory, a three-person crew from ITV News stood at the very center of the mob, capturing some of the day's most significant footage.
Reporter Robert Moore, producer Sophie Alexander and cameraman Mark Davey were the first TV crew to enter the Capitol building with the rioters, witnessing their shattering of windows and conducting on-the-ground interviews as the action unfolded.
Following a day that will surely go down in American history, Moore and Alexander spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about their firsthand experience, the benefits of being a British station amid a "fake news" crowd and their biggest takeaways.
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"Anarchy In The U.S.A.": World Reacts With Horror After Trump Mob Storms Capitol
Starting off, what was it like to be there yesterday?
Robert Moore: It was very dramatic, but I think what was most striking to us is none of this comes, or should have come, as a surprise. This was a highly organized protest that the president himself had been speaking about and encouraged people to turn out for. So I think one of the questions we have is why the Capitol Hill police were so ill prepared for what happened. Even as I was joining the crowd that was going into the congressional complex, breaking through doors and windows, I was struck by how this seemed almost inevitable — this is exactly the culmination of what we've been reporting on for so many years. It blended together the conspiracy theories that have been propagated by the president and the visceral views of so many Trump supporters.
Sophie Alexander: I don't think I quite realized the enormity of the situation until I woke up this morning. We work in news, this is what we do, this is what we're good at; however, yesterday was obviously unlike anything I've ever covered in my lifetime, in my career. I really think the enormity of it, and particularly what we achieved, the three of us getting what none of the other U.S. networks did, I really think that only sunk in this morning.
How did your day unfold, with you ending up right in the middle of that?
Moore: As a small foreign broadcast team here in Washington, ITV News prides itself on close-up, fly-on-the-wall type of reporting. So we were with the crowd earlier at the White House, we followed them to Capitol Hill, and we just happened to be on the left-hand side of the inauguration stage that's been built for Joe Biden. There was a little window, that little corridor, that led up some marbled steps and we noticed that a dozen or so very animated, angry, passionate protesters had found a little route up there that appeared to be unprotected by the Capitol Hill police. So they went up there, we followed them, and then we noticed that they were climbing through a window and had broken open a door right into the congressional building itself. They were charging through and we followed with them. And we decided just to tell our reporting as it unfolded.
I was very aware that my journalistic objective was to hear the voices of passionate people, whatever side of the political divide they're on. So I was keen to talk to and hear as much of their voices and their raw audio as possible. Our journalistic objective almost immediately came into view: "Let's be a fly on the wall. Let's just follow and track the passion as they enter the building." What was so striking for us was their chant wasn't insurrectionary or revolutionary. It was "Our house, our house." In other words, they felt almost like they'd arrived at their own home — this sense that the U.S. Capitol belonged to them was a very real and very striking feature of the day.
This is a group of people that typically opposes mainstream media. Did you face any harassment or violence from the rioters?
Moore: There is a lot of hostility from that crowd towards the media, all elements of it. But their real dislike is of American media. So once we've explained to them that we're an overseas TV network they were, if not, friendly. They didn't regard us as a hostile presence. They understood that we were trying to project their voices, if you like. I wouldn't say we ever were seen as their allies in those kind of dramatic and chaotic moments, but they didn't see us as the enemy and so that allowed us to track with them, follow them to Nancy Pelosi's office — which they were ransacking — and at no point did they regard us as a target. Their anger is so targeted at the Washington establishment that we were almost ignored, frankly, in the drama and chaos of the moment.
We've been reporting on the Trump movement for four-plus years now and we often go to the rallies and we often mix with them. We explain to them that Britain is also a country going through political turmoil with Brexit, just like the United States. Many of them are veterans and we point out that British and American soldiers are fighting and dying on battlefields and have done around the world. We try and connect with them in a way that Trump supporters understand, that Britain is an interested observer in America but doesn't have a stake in which side is covered. We want to hear all voices. And that's a way that we use [that], and we used it yesterday, to reassure those who were in the Capitol Building making their protests that we weren't the enemy. We were literally reporters trying to amplify their voices.
Alexander Being a British outlet does hugely help — one, the accent, and two, we say, "Listen, we're British television, this is not going to be shown in America, but we are here to report on what is happening and we're listening to you." There's so much distrust of the media in America at the moment, it's really very sad. However, we are not one of the main targets of that hatred, and as soon as we say we're British, it does change the tone of the conversation — thankfully, because at times, it was quite threatening.
Were there moments you feared for your safety? You are right alongside the tear gas at times.
Alexander: We did feel the effects of the tear gas, my eyes are still stinging this morning to be honest with you. I think as a producer, my first instinct is to keep the team safe, that's my priority. Keep the team safe, and cover the story as well as we can while keeping everyone safe. Truthfully, the anger and the hatred that I witnessed yesterday was not directed at us. It was directed at members of the House, so we were able to report and witness from the middle of it but without fearing for our safety too much.
Is there a moment from the day that really stands out to you?
Moore: That moment when the crowd jumped through the window, broke through the door — and then it was almost like they were stunned that they'd achieved that. They were looking at the marble statues; they were looking at the immaculate passageways and corridors of Congress; and they almost couldn't believe that they'd achieved that and that they'd broken in. It was that almost naive, stunned look on their faces and their joy that they'd sort of humiliated Washington's establishment. The image of wonder that was on their faces, their surprise at having outwitted and outmaneuvered Capitol Hill police officers, I think was the thing that struck me most. And then that blend of people who were there — wild militia men, Trump supporters, far right, people who have just been caught up in the emotion and joined the crowd. It was a real blend of some of the stranger characters in American protest movements.
Alexander: I think there were two moments. One when we were standing on, believe it or not, the inauguration stage where Joe Biden will be inaugurated in less than two weeks. Suddenly there was this roar from the mob around us, and we realized that they'd managed to break the doors of the scaffolding down and they had free rein to just run towards the Capitol, absolutely no police holding them back. Secondly, when we were actually inside the Capitol, we heard a man on the phone behind us who was obviously calling his loved one and he said, "Whatever happens today, just please know that I love you and tell the boys to do what they believe is right." He was prepared to die for what he believed was right, he really thought it could lead to that.
What did you see in terms of the police's handling of the riot?
Alexander: The police were entirely overwhelmed and underprepared. Before the mob had managed to actually get onto the inauguration stage and break into the Capitol, I counted maybe 12 police trying to hold back a crowd of hundreds, and that was in no way their fault. They were not prepared. However, I would say the responses of the police at the beginning was quite inadequate. But what would we prefer, do we want them to be firing live rounds into the crowd? No, we don't. So I think they did the best of their ability while being completely underprepared.
There was a big debate in U.S. media over what to call these people — protestors, rioters, terrorists. Did you have any discussions of how to deal with that?
Moore: I'm not using phrases like "mobs," and I'm certainly not using the word "terrorists," which strikes me as absurd. I think "protesters" is valid, I think that's the one that is kind of value neutral, if you like. They are protesters, they're protesting the establishment. I don't think it helps anybody to marginalize these people or to ridicule them or to suggest that they're a greater danger to the republic than they are. I think as reporters we need to step back and recognize that America faces this deep polarization, this schism, at the heart of the country. I think our business is not to mock or to judge either side. It's easy to believe they're a threat to democracy, but it's also important to understand that they believe they are defending the Republic, not threatening it.
What was your biggest takeaway from being immersed in this crowd and talking to rioters in a way that most new stations weren't?
Moore: The thing that resonated with me most was although it had an insurrectionary, almost revolutionary, feel, this wasn't an anarchic crowd. This wasn't anarchy that we witnessed, although that is somewhat being portrayed here for political reasons. What they were saying to us, to cameras, is, "We're here to save the Republic, not to assault it." So I suppose, in a paradoxical sense, my real takeaway is the sincerity of the views that they hold.
They are deeply invested in President Trump and we can all pass judgment on that, but what was clear to us is that they do believe that this election was stolen, and have bought into the narrative of conspiracy theories that it was stolen. There obviously is a danger going forward, but it was the sincerity and the passion of the protesters that I think made the video that we shot go viral. These weren't people who were just political opportunists, they genuinely believe that that was their house, if you like, and secondly, they deeply believe in a really visceral sense that the election was stolen.
Alexander: It was the sense of duty, they truly felt that they were doing the right thing and that the house that they stormed was theirs; it belonged to them. It was part of their history and they truly believed they were doing the right thing in trying to reclaim it, essentially. It was pure fury that something they believe to be democratically right had been stolen from them. There was absolutely no sense of sitting on the fence, there was no "Well, maybe Joe Biden did win." It was, "President Trump won this election and it has been stolen from him and therefore it's been stolen from us and the very bedrock of this country is being shaken right now because of it."
Interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Reporter Robert Moore and producer Sophie Alexander captured some of Wednesday's most poignant footage as the first crew to enter the U.S. Capitol with pro-Trump rioters.
As thousands of Trump supporters descended on the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, attempting to derail Congress' confirmation of Joe Biden's presidential victory, a three-person crew from ITV News stood at the very center of the mob, capturing some of the day's most significant footage.
Reporter Robert Moore, producer Sophie Alexander and cameraman Mark Davey were the first TV crew to enter the Capitol building with the rioters, witnessing their shattering of windows and conducting on-the-ground interviews as the action unfolded.
Following a day that will surely go down in American history, Moore and Alexander spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about their firsthand experience, the benefits of being a British station amid a "fake news" crowd and their biggest takeaways.
READ MORE
"Anarchy In The U.S.A.": World Reacts With Horror After Trump Mob Storms Capitol
Starting off, what was it like to be there yesterday?
Robert Moore: It was very dramatic, but I think what was most striking to us is none of this comes, or should have come, as a surprise. This was a highly organized protest that the president himself had been speaking about and encouraged people to turn out for. So I think one of the questions we have is why the Capitol Hill police were so ill prepared for what happened. Even as I was joining the crowd that was going into the congressional complex, breaking through doors and windows, I was struck by how this seemed almost inevitable — this is exactly the culmination of what we've been reporting on for so many years. It blended together the conspiracy theories that have been propagated by the president and the visceral views of so many Trump supporters.
Sophie Alexander: I don't think I quite realized the enormity of the situation until I woke up this morning. We work in news, this is what we do, this is what we're good at; however, yesterday was obviously unlike anything I've ever covered in my lifetime, in my career. I really think the enormity of it, and particularly what we achieved, the three of us getting what none of the other U.S. networks did, I really think that only sunk in this morning.
How did your day unfold, with you ending up right in the middle of that?
Moore: As a small foreign broadcast team here in Washington, ITV News prides itself on close-up, fly-on-the-wall type of reporting. So we were with the crowd earlier at the White House, we followed them to Capitol Hill, and we just happened to be on the left-hand side of the inauguration stage that's been built for Joe Biden. There was a little window, that little corridor, that led up some marbled steps and we noticed that a dozen or so very animated, angry, passionate protesters had found a little route up there that appeared to be unprotected by the Capitol Hill police. So they went up there, we followed them, and then we noticed that they were climbing through a window and had broken open a door right into the congressional building itself. They were charging through and we followed with them. And we decided just to tell our reporting as it unfolded.
I was very aware that my journalistic objective was to hear the voices of passionate people, whatever side of the political divide they're on. So I was keen to talk to and hear as much of their voices and their raw audio as possible. Our journalistic objective almost immediately came into view: "Let's be a fly on the wall. Let's just follow and track the passion as they enter the building." What was so striking for us was their chant wasn't insurrectionary or revolutionary. It was "Our house, our house." In other words, they felt almost like they'd arrived at their own home — this sense that the U.S. Capitol belonged to them was a very real and very striking feature of the day.
This is a group of people that typically opposes mainstream media. Did you face any harassment or violence from the rioters?
Moore: There is a lot of hostility from that crowd towards the media, all elements of it. But their real dislike is of American media. So once we've explained to them that we're an overseas TV network they were, if not, friendly. They didn't regard us as a hostile presence. They understood that we were trying to project their voices, if you like. I wouldn't say we ever were seen as their allies in those kind of dramatic and chaotic moments, but they didn't see us as the enemy and so that allowed us to track with them, follow them to Nancy Pelosi's office — which they were ransacking — and at no point did they regard us as a target. Their anger is so targeted at the Washington establishment that we were almost ignored, frankly, in the drama and chaos of the moment.
We've been reporting on the Trump movement for four-plus years now and we often go to the rallies and we often mix with them. We explain to them that Britain is also a country going through political turmoil with Brexit, just like the United States. Many of them are veterans and we point out that British and American soldiers are fighting and dying on battlefields and have done around the world. We try and connect with them in a way that Trump supporters understand, that Britain is an interested observer in America but doesn't have a stake in which side is covered. We want to hear all voices. And that's a way that we use [that], and we used it yesterday, to reassure those who were in the Capitol Building making their protests that we weren't the enemy. We were literally reporters trying to amplify their voices.
Alexander Being a British outlet does hugely help — one, the accent, and two, we say, "Listen, we're British television, this is not going to be shown in America, but we are here to report on what is happening and we're listening to you." There's so much distrust of the media in America at the moment, it's really very sad. However, we are not one of the main targets of that hatred, and as soon as we say we're British, it does change the tone of the conversation — thankfully, because at times, it was quite threatening.
Were there moments you feared for your safety? You are right alongside the tear gas at times.
Alexander: We did feel the effects of the tear gas, my eyes are still stinging this morning to be honest with you. I think as a producer, my first instinct is to keep the team safe, that's my priority. Keep the team safe, and cover the story as well as we can while keeping everyone safe. Truthfully, the anger and the hatred that I witnessed yesterday was not directed at us. It was directed at members of the House, so we were able to report and witness from the middle of it but without fearing for our safety too much.
Is there a moment from the day that really stands out to you?
Moore: That moment when the crowd jumped through the window, broke through the door — and then it was almost like they were stunned that they'd achieved that. They were looking at the marble statues; they were looking at the immaculate passageways and corridors of Congress; and they almost couldn't believe that they'd achieved that and that they'd broken in. It was that almost naive, stunned look on their faces and their joy that they'd sort of humiliated Washington's establishment. The image of wonder that was on their faces, their surprise at having outwitted and outmaneuvered Capitol Hill police officers, I think was the thing that struck me most. And then that blend of people who were there — wild militia men, Trump supporters, far right, people who have just been caught up in the emotion and joined the crowd. It was a real blend of some of the stranger characters in American protest movements.
Alexander: I think there were two moments. One when we were standing on, believe it or not, the inauguration stage where Joe Biden will be inaugurated in less than two weeks. Suddenly there was this roar from the mob around us, and we realized that they'd managed to break the doors of the scaffolding down and they had free rein to just run towards the Capitol, absolutely no police holding them back. Secondly, when we were actually inside the Capitol, we heard a man on the phone behind us who was obviously calling his loved one and he said, "Whatever happens today, just please know that I love you and tell the boys to do what they believe is right." He was prepared to die for what he believed was right, he really thought it could lead to that.
What did you see in terms of the police's handling of the riot?
Alexander: The police were entirely overwhelmed and underprepared. Before the mob had managed to actually get onto the inauguration stage and break into the Capitol, I counted maybe 12 police trying to hold back a crowd of hundreds, and that was in no way their fault. They were not prepared. However, I would say the responses of the police at the beginning was quite inadequate. But what would we prefer, do we want them to be firing live rounds into the crowd? No, we don't. So I think they did the best of their ability while being completely underprepared.
There was a big debate in U.S. media over what to call these people — protestors, rioters, terrorists. Did you have any discussions of how to deal with that?
Moore: I'm not using phrases like "mobs," and I'm certainly not using the word "terrorists," which strikes me as absurd. I think "protesters" is valid, I think that's the one that is kind of value neutral, if you like. They are protesters, they're protesting the establishment. I don't think it helps anybody to marginalize these people or to ridicule them or to suggest that they're a greater danger to the republic than they are. I think as reporters we need to step back and recognize that America faces this deep polarization, this schism, at the heart of the country. I think our business is not to mock or to judge either side. It's easy to believe they're a threat to democracy, but it's also important to understand that they believe they are defending the Republic, not threatening it.
What was your biggest takeaway from being immersed in this crowd and talking to rioters in a way that most new stations weren't?
Moore: The thing that resonated with me most was although it had an insurrectionary, almost revolutionary, feel, this wasn't an anarchic crowd. This wasn't anarchy that we witnessed, although that is somewhat being portrayed here for political reasons. What they were saying to us, to cameras, is, "We're here to save the Republic, not to assault it." So I suppose, in a paradoxical sense, my real takeaway is the sincerity of the views that they hold.
They are deeply invested in President Trump and we can all pass judgment on that, but what was clear to us is that they do believe that this election was stolen, and have bought into the narrative of conspiracy theories that it was stolen. There obviously is a danger going forward, but it was the sincerity and the passion of the protesters that I think made the video that we shot go viral. These weren't people who were just political opportunists, they genuinely believe that that was their house, if you like, and secondly, they deeply believe in a really visceral sense that the election was stolen.
Alexander: It was the sense of duty, they truly felt that they were doing the right thing and that the house that they stormed was theirs; it belonged to them. It was part of their history and they truly believed they were doing the right thing in trying to reclaim it, essentially. It was pure fury that something they believe to be democratically right had been stolen from them. There was absolutely no sense of sitting on the fence, there was no "Well, maybe Joe Biden did win." It was, "President Trump won this election and it has been stolen from him and therefore it's been stolen from us and the very bedrock of this country is being shaken right now because of it."
Interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Seth Meyers Calls For Donald Trump To Be “Immediately Removed From Office” After Capitol Carnage
Seth Meyers, the host of NBC’s Late Night, has called for Donald Trump’s immediate removal from office after his supporters staged a siege on the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, resulting in…
deadline.com
Disney CEO Bob Chapek Denounces “Inexcusable Assault” Of Violent Attack On U.S. Capitol
By Alexandra Del Rosario
Alexandra Del Rosario
Associate Editor/Nights & Weekends
@_amvdrMore Stories By Alexandra
Disney CEO Bob Chapek condemned the violent act of rioters at the U.S. Capitol, noting that Wednesday’s unprecedented fatal events marked “a sad and tragic day for our country, one unlike any other in our history.”
“What we saw was an egregious and inexcusable assault on America’s most revered institution and our democracy,” the Disney boss said in a statement, posted on the Walt Disney Company’s official Twitter. “Thankfully, the democratic process that we hold dearly ultimately prevailed.”
On Wednesday hundreds of Donald Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol seeking to interrupt Congress’ joint session to certify the Electoral College votes. The disruptive and violent acts resulted in four deaths.
Like many who condemned the attack on the U.S. Capitol, Chapek called for unity and kindness amid the unrest.
“We should seize this opportunity, and move ahead with optimism and hope for a better, brighter future for all of America,” he wrote.
Chapek joins a number of industry figures who have called out the injustice of the Wednesday violence in the nation’s capital. See more reactions, from Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans and more, here.
See the Disney CEO’s full statement below.
By Alexandra Del Rosario
Alexandra Del Rosario
Associate Editor/Nights & Weekends
@_amvdrMore Stories By Alexandra
Disney CEO Bob Chapek condemned the violent act of rioters at the U.S. Capitol, noting that Wednesday’s unprecedented fatal events marked “a sad and tragic day for our country, one unlike any other in our history.”
“What we saw was an egregious and inexcusable assault on America’s most revered institution and our democracy,” the Disney boss said in a statement, posted on the Walt Disney Company’s official Twitter. “Thankfully, the democratic process that we hold dearly ultimately prevailed.”
On Wednesday hundreds of Donald Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol seeking to interrupt Congress’ joint session to certify the Electoral College votes. The disruptive and violent acts resulted in four deaths.
Like many who condemned the attack on the U.S. Capitol, Chapek called for unity and kindness amid the unrest.
“We should seize this opportunity, and move ahead with optimism and hope for a better, brighter future for all of America,” he wrote.
Chapek joins a number of industry figures who have called out the injustice of the Wednesday violence in the nation’s capital. See more reactions, from Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans and more, here.
See the Disney CEO’s full statement below.
Twitch, Snapchat Among Additional Platforms Restricting Trump Accounts Over Capitol Violence – Update
In a dramatic move, Twitter and Facebook have locked President Donald Trump's account in the wake of his posts on the unrest at the U.S. Capitol.
deadline.com
White House in 'crisis management' mode: lawyers being consulted about potential impeachment
Outside lawyers are being sought for consultation by the White House about the prospect of a last minute, rapid impeachment of President Donald Trump, a source familiar with the matter said.
www.cnn.com
White House in 'crisis management' mode: lawyers being consulted about potential impeachment
https://www.cnn.com/profiles/jim-acosta-profile
By Jim Acosta, CNN
Updated 12:43 PM ET, Fri January 8, 2021
(CNN)Outside lawyers are being sought for consultation by the White House about the prospect of a last minute, rapid impeachment of President Donald Trump, a source familiar with the matter said.
The source said at this point lawyers advising the White House believe there is not enough time logistically for Democrats to move articles of impeachment out of the House and into the hands of senators for a speedy removal of the President before January 20.
But the source said lawyers for the President have started to game out the impeachment possibility as the likelihood of Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet invoking the 25th Amendment seems remote.
The source added the President's attorneys have been consulted about the language used in Trump's video messages in the aftermath of the Capitol riots. During that process, White House counsel Pat Cipollone and chief of staff Mark Meadows went to Trump to urge him to record the videos to save his presidency and hold off efforts to remove him from office.
There are always plenty of reasons to take advantage of Sam’s Club’s curbside Pickup, from the stores’ enormous selection to the great member prices.
White House counsel considering resigning, source says
Cipollone is now considering resigning, two sources familiar with his thinking told CNN's Pamela Brown. Since the election, he had considered it multiple times but has been urged to stay for the good of the country by members of the Senate and the Cabinet.
Cipollone defended the President during impeachment proceedings over phone calls with the leader of Ukraine, but his potential exit raises questions about who would represent Trump if current impeachment talks pick up more steam. Cipollone's participation is now highly unlikely.
The White House is in "crisis management" mode following the siege at the Capitol, the source said.
"The lawyers are involved," the source said.
Meetings have been almost non-stop inside the White House to hash out plans to bring the Trump presidency to an end in the least chaotic way possible, the source said.
"Can you land the plane with 12 days left," the source said, summing up the goal of the remaining staffers and advisers around the President.
Corporate America is finally divorcing Trump
https://www.cnn.com/profiles/matt-egan
Analysis by Matt Egan, CNN Business
Updated 1:00 PM ET, Fri January 8, 2021
https://www.bgol.us/forum/javascript:void(0);
New York (CNN Business)Lured by his promises of fat tax cuts and deregulation, Corporate America enthusiastically backed President Donald Trump following his shocking 2016 victory.
But the relationship broke down as Trump failed to condemn racism, attacked major American companies, ignored the climate crisis and imposed tariffs. And the divorce was completed in spectacular fashion this week after Trump incited an angry mob that assaulted the US Capitol.
When Trump took office, the business community initially praised the self-styled CEO president's pro-business agenda: In late 2016, the influential lobbying group Business Roundtable cheered Trump's economic team and tax cut promises. The following year Jay Timmons, CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, urged lawmakers to back Trump's infrastructure plan and said "all of Congress needs to get onboard the 'Trump train."
Both parties struck an entirely different tone this week with the insurrection on the US Capitol, a symbol of American democracy, proving to be the final straw.
Donald Trump should be removed from office to preserve democracy, business leaders say
The Business Roundtable slammed US politicians for spreading the "fiction of a fraudulent" election, warning it's a threat to democracy and the economy. Leading CEOs condemned the violence.
And in perhaps the strongest political statement by a major business group in modern history, Timmons -- a former GOP operative -- called on Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to consider removing Trump from power: "This is chaos. It is mob rule. It is dangerous. This is sedition and it should be treated as such."
close dialog
But critics say business leaders should have condemned Trumpism far earlier and in some ways enabled him.
"This is a lesson in not standing up to bullies," said Eleanor Bloxham, CEO of the Value Alliance, a firm that advises boards on corporate governance practices. "By embracing Trump, they were enabling a very narrow perspective, not a long-term one."
Senator Sherrod Brown, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, suggested the timing of the divorce was convenient.
"These CEOs have already gotten their tax cuts, deregulation and pro-corporate judges. They don't really need Trump anymore, so they can finally do the right thing," Brown told CNN Business in an interview on Thursday. "It's nice they stepped up with such great courage with 13 days left in the Trump administration."
To be fair, the relationship between Trump and Corporate America has always been full of ups and downs. And CEOs did provide critical moments of moral leadership during the turbulent Trump era.
Back at the beginning, big business did not back Trump's candidacy.
"In the primaries, the feeling seemed to be, 'Oh no, Trump,'" Bloxham recalled of her conversations in 2015 and 2016 with generally Republican-leaning board members.
After Trump won the nomination, many business leaders threw their weight behind Hillary Clinton.
"They never saw him as one of them," said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, founder of Yale University's Chief Executive Leadership Institute. Sonnenfeld recalled that some executives who are active CEOs today threatened to walk out when he brought Trump to a business summit around 2006.
Wait, there's tax cuts?
But once Trump won the White House, the industry saw him as a vehicle for the pro-business agenda they craved -- especially on tax cuts.
"In January 2017, there was great enthusiasm. He was speaking their language," said Sonnenfeld. "The business community was quite excited."
By the end of 2017, Trump delivered by enacting sweeping corporate tax cuts that the White House promised would create a roaring economy.
Democracy is under attack. And Wall Street is sounding the alarm
"The Business Roundtable did a deal with the devil," said Sonnenfeld.
Trump's tax cuts had a greater impact on Wall Street than Main Street. A lasting acceleration in job-creating investments never materialized, with the windfall largely going toward stock buybacks, dividends and mergers. By early 2019, Bank of America economists dubbed it the "investment boom that wasn't."
Beyond tax cuts, Trump set in motion a wave of deregulation that the business community was clamoring for after eight years of the Obama administration. And he appointed pro-business judges, including three conservatives to the Supreme Court.
"They got most of what they wanted," said Ed Mills, Washington policy analyst at Raymond James.
Clashes over race, climate and immigration
But relations began to fray in the summer of 2017.
First, business leaders including former Disney (DIS) CEO Bob Iger and Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk slammed Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement.
Why Wall Street can disregard protests, assassinations and riots
And then CEOs led by Merck (MRK) boss Ken Frazier quit Trump's business councils in August 2017 after the president initially failed to condemn white supremacists at a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The advisory committees eventually disbanded, delivering a startling rebuke to the president.
"They didn't want to be on the wrong side of history," said Sonnenfeld.
Silicon Valley and other major US businesses have also repeatedly pushed back on Trump's immigration curbs, especially Dreamers, Sonnenfeld noted, saying "the business community has been one of the strongest voices in fighting the extremes of the Trump administration's policies such as immigration."
Too toxic?
The question now is whether business leaders will offer support to the Trump movement after his term ends January 20.
Trump and his surrogates have vowed to mount well-funded primary challenges to sitting Republicans who refused to back his attempt to overturn the election.
"You've got a lot of Republican businessmen wondering: Am I going to latch onto this Trump movement because it's still low-tax and pro-energy?" said Michael Cembalest, chairman of market and investment strategy at JPMorgan Asset Management in an interview conducted before Wednesday's siege on the Capitol.
"On the other hand, there is a lot of other stuff that goes with the Trump movement: anti-trade, intensely anti-immigration and arguably a degree of authoritarianism that isn't in sync with the party," he added.
Bloxham, the Value Alliance CEO, said much will depend on whether Trump faces serious consequences, such as impeachment or invocation of the 25th Amendment, before his term ends.
"If there is a strong response," Bloxham said, "then the Trump brand will be much more toxic."
www.cnn.com
https://www.cnn.com/profiles/matt-egan
Analysis by Matt Egan, CNN Business
Updated 1:00 PM ET, Fri January 8, 2021
https://www.bgol.us/forum/javascript:void(0);
New York (CNN Business)Lured by his promises of fat tax cuts and deregulation, Corporate America enthusiastically backed President Donald Trump following his shocking 2016 victory.
But the relationship broke down as Trump failed to condemn racism, attacked major American companies, ignored the climate crisis and imposed tariffs. And the divorce was completed in spectacular fashion this week after Trump incited an angry mob that assaulted the US Capitol.
When Trump took office, the business community initially praised the self-styled CEO president's pro-business agenda: In late 2016, the influential lobbying group Business Roundtable cheered Trump's economic team and tax cut promises. The following year Jay Timmons, CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, urged lawmakers to back Trump's infrastructure plan and said "all of Congress needs to get onboard the 'Trump train."
Both parties struck an entirely different tone this week with the insurrection on the US Capitol, a symbol of American democracy, proving to be the final straw.
Donald Trump should be removed from office to preserve democracy, business leaders say
The Business Roundtable slammed US politicians for spreading the "fiction of a fraudulent" election, warning it's a threat to democracy and the economy. Leading CEOs condemned the violence.
And in perhaps the strongest political statement by a major business group in modern history, Timmons -- a former GOP operative -- called on Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to consider removing Trump from power: "This is chaos. It is mob rule. It is dangerous. This is sedition and it should be treated as such."
close dialog
But critics say business leaders should have condemned Trumpism far earlier and in some ways enabled him.
"This is a lesson in not standing up to bullies," said Eleanor Bloxham, CEO of the Value Alliance, a firm that advises boards on corporate governance practices. "By embracing Trump, they were enabling a very narrow perspective, not a long-term one."
Senator Sherrod Brown, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, suggested the timing of the divorce was convenient.
"These CEOs have already gotten their tax cuts, deregulation and pro-corporate judges. They don't really need Trump anymore, so they can finally do the right thing," Brown told CNN Business in an interview on Thursday. "It's nice they stepped up with such great courage with 13 days left in the Trump administration."
'Oh no, Trump'
To be fair, the relationship between Trump and Corporate America has always been full of ups and downs. And CEOs did provide critical moments of moral leadership during the turbulent Trump era.
Back at the beginning, big business did not back Trump's candidacy.
"In the primaries, the feeling seemed to be, 'Oh no, Trump,'" Bloxham recalled of her conversations in 2015 and 2016 with generally Republican-leaning board members.
After Trump won the nomination, many business leaders threw their weight behind Hillary Clinton.
"They never saw him as one of them," said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, founder of Yale University's Chief Executive Leadership Institute. Sonnenfeld recalled that some executives who are active CEOs today threatened to walk out when he brought Trump to a business summit around 2006.
Wait, there's tax cuts?
But once Trump won the White House, the industry saw him as a vehicle for the pro-business agenda they craved -- especially on tax cuts.
"In January 2017, there was great enthusiasm. He was speaking their language," said Sonnenfeld. "The business community was quite excited."
By the end of 2017, Trump delivered by enacting sweeping corporate tax cuts that the White House promised would create a roaring economy.
Democracy is under attack. And Wall Street is sounding the alarm
"The Business Roundtable did a deal with the devil," said Sonnenfeld.
Trump's tax cuts had a greater impact on Wall Street than Main Street. A lasting acceleration in job-creating investments never materialized, with the windfall largely going toward stock buybacks, dividends and mergers. By early 2019, Bank of America economists dubbed it the "investment boom that wasn't."
Beyond tax cuts, Trump set in motion a wave of deregulation that the business community was clamoring for after eight years of the Obama administration. And he appointed pro-business judges, including three conservatives to the Supreme Court.
"They got most of what they wanted," said Ed Mills, Washington policy analyst at Raymond James.
Clashes over race, climate and immigration
But relations began to fray in the summer of 2017.
First, business leaders including former Disney (DIS) CEO Bob Iger and Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk slammed Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement.
Why Wall Street can disregard protests, assassinations and riots
And then CEOs led by Merck (MRK) boss Ken Frazier quit Trump's business councils in August 2017 after the president initially failed to condemn white supremacists at a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The advisory committees eventually disbanded, delivering a startling rebuke to the president.
"They didn't want to be on the wrong side of history," said Sonnenfeld.
Silicon Valley and other major US businesses have also repeatedly pushed back on Trump's immigration curbs, especially Dreamers, Sonnenfeld noted, saying "the business community has been one of the strongest voices in fighting the extremes of the Trump administration's policies such as immigration."
Too toxic?
The question now is whether business leaders will offer support to the Trump movement after his term ends January 20.
Trump and his surrogates have vowed to mount well-funded primary challenges to sitting Republicans who refused to back his attempt to overturn the election.
"You've got a lot of Republican businessmen wondering: Am I going to latch onto this Trump movement because it's still low-tax and pro-energy?" said Michael Cembalest, chairman of market and investment strategy at JPMorgan Asset Management in an interview conducted before Wednesday's siege on the Capitol.
"On the other hand, there is a lot of other stuff that goes with the Trump movement: anti-trade, intensely anti-immigration and arguably a degree of authoritarianism that isn't in sync with the party," he added.
Bloxham, the Value Alliance CEO, said much will depend on whether Trump faces serious consequences, such as impeachment or invocation of the 25th Amendment, before his term ends.
"If there is a strong response," Bloxham said, "then the Trump brand will be much more toxic."
Analysis: Corporate America is finally divorcing Trump
Lured by his promises of fat tax cuts and deregulation, Corporate America enthusiastically backed President Donald Trump following his shocking 2016 victory.
www.cnn.com
I wonder what everyone thinks now 5 years later
they ALL gonna try to hide they hands delete social media give NEW interviews to contradict all the previous ones and hope and pray all the clout they were chasing by supporting that maniac in chief will not FINALLY catch up with them and their families.
BECAUSE they KNEW EXACTLY what type of monster they were electing.
Democrats could bring articles of impeachment to House floor as soon as next week, CNN reports
On Friday, Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark told CNN that a House impeachment vote could happen by next week if the 25th Amendment is not invoked, which Vice President Mike Pence is said to oppose. Elected officials and members of the private sector have called this week for the president’s removal from office following the January 6 attack on the US Capitol building by a mob of Trump
On Friday, Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark told CNN that a House impeachment vote could happen by next week if the 25th Amendment is not invoked, which Vice President Mike Pence is said to oppose. Elected officials and members of the private sector have called this week for the president’s removal from office following the January 6 attack on the US Capitol building by a mob of Trump
But now he's saying that he is not going to the inauguration. Clown show
Trump pressured Pence to engineer a coup, then put the VP in danger, source says
By Jim Acosta, CNN
Updated 6:06 PM ET, Thu January 7, 2021
(CNN)President Donald Trump and top White House officials did little to check in on Vice President Mike Pence while he and members of his family were inside the US Capitol when Trump-backed rioters stormed the halls of Congress on Wednesday, a source close to the vice president tells CNN.
Pence was joined by his wife Karen Pence, daughter Charlotte and brother, Rep. Greg Pence, R-Indiana, for the ceremonial counting of the electoral votes in Congress Wednesday. Several of the violent Trump supporters who were rampaging the US Capitol were heard screaming "where's Mike Pence," the source said, frightening the vice president and his family.
Yet, the President and his top aides barely lifted a finger to check in on Pence to make sure he and his family were unharmed, the source added.
"Was he concerned at all that an angry mob that he commanded to march on the Capitol might injure the vice president or his family?" the source asked.
The White House did not respond on the record to a CNN request for comment.
People close to the vice president now believe he is being set up as a "scapegoat" to shoulder the blame inside Trump-world after Pence refused to buckle to the President's demands to engineer a procedural coup that would keep Trump in power.
On Tuesday, Pence came under intense pressure from Trump to toss out the election results during a meeting that lasted hours in the Oval Office. The vice president's chief of staff, Marc Short, was banned by Trump from entering the West Wing, the source said, as the President repeatedly warned with "thinly veiled threats" to Pence that he would suffer major political consequences if he refused to cooperate.
"The message was pretty clear," the source said.
The events Wednesday have left some aides to the vice president feeling Pence was betrayed by Trump as well as White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and the President's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.
"Rudy, Meadows and their teams have been trying to set up the vice president to take the fall as opposed to admitting they laid out false hope in all of this," the source said.
"Trump just can't admit defeat and wants a scapegoat," the source added.
On Thursday, Charlotte Pence Bond, the vice president's daughter who had been at the US Capitol with him, tweeted her congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
By Jim Acosta, CNN
Updated 6:06 PM ET, Thu January 7, 2021
(CNN)President Donald Trump and top White House officials did little to check in on Vice President Mike Pence while he and members of his family were inside the US Capitol when Trump-backed rioters stormed the halls of Congress on Wednesday, a source close to the vice president tells CNN.
Pence was joined by his wife Karen Pence, daughter Charlotte and brother, Rep. Greg Pence, R-Indiana, for the ceremonial counting of the electoral votes in Congress Wednesday. Several of the violent Trump supporters who were rampaging the US Capitol were heard screaming "where's Mike Pence," the source said, frightening the vice president and his family.
Yet, the President and his top aides barely lifted a finger to check in on Pence to make sure he and his family were unharmed, the source added.
"Was he concerned at all that an angry mob that he commanded to march on the Capitol might injure the vice president or his family?" the source asked.
The White House did not respond on the record to a CNN request for comment.
People close to the vice president now believe he is being set up as a "scapegoat" to shoulder the blame inside Trump-world after Pence refused to buckle to the President's demands to engineer a procedural coup that would keep Trump in power.
On Tuesday, Pence came under intense pressure from Trump to toss out the election results during a meeting that lasted hours in the Oval Office. The vice president's chief of staff, Marc Short, was banned by Trump from entering the West Wing, the source said, as the President repeatedly warned with "thinly veiled threats" to Pence that he would suffer major political consequences if he refused to cooperate.
"The message was pretty clear," the source said.
The events Wednesday have left some aides to the vice president feeling Pence was betrayed by Trump as well as White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and the President's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.
"Rudy, Meadows and their teams have been trying to set up the vice president to take the fall as opposed to admitting they laid out false hope in all of this," the source said.
"Trump just can't admit defeat and wants a scapegoat," the source added.
On Thursday, Charlotte Pence Bond, the vice president's daughter who had been at the US Capitol with him, tweeted her congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.