Biden endorsed after scenes that shocked the world

The US Congress officially validated on Thursday morning, Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential elections and the outgoing president, Donald Trump , promised that there will be a “transition in order” on January 20, after his supporters sowed chaos for hours in the Capitol with some unprecedented images that shocked the country and provoked unanimous international condemnation.

Ater the objections of Republican officials were rejected, Vice President Mike Pence confirmed the victory of the Democrat, with 306 compared to 232 for the outgoing president, before both houses, meeting in extraordinary session.

What should have been a mere formality turned into an “insurrection” on Wednesday that “verged on sedition,” in Biden’s words, when a crowd of Trump supporters invaded the Capitol, considered the temple of American democracy. They smashed windows and doors, vandalized congressional desks, and yelled “Trump won this election!” At the scene was the Confederate flag – “adopted by racist and violent groups,” – and “Trump 2020” banners with caps carrying the  Trump mantra Make America Great Again while responding to the pulse of a phrase that Trump used hours before: “I will never concede victory, we are going to stop this robbery” while inciting them to march on the Capitol.

And although calm returned after a few hours, these images will be forever associated with the end of Trump’s mandate, which has not acknowledged his defeat for two months, an attitude that has caused part of his own party to abandon him at the end of his career. .

After the Congress vote, and after  a disastrous day for his political future, Trump admitted that his term is ending and that on January 20 there will be a “transition in order.”

“Although I totally disagree with the outcome of these elections and the facts support me, there will be a transition in order on January 20,” he said in a statement.

“This represents the end of one of the best first presidential terms and it is only the beginning of our fight to return to the United States its greatness,” he added, hinting that he could fight for a new term in 2024.

Trump, who has raised the specter of a plot and denounces fraud since his defeat, is pointed out as the main person responsible for this invasion of the Capitol and the chaos that reigned for hours, which caused a curfew to be decreed in Washington.

Police reported that a woman, a passionate Trump advocate, was shot by law enforcement and died on Capitol Hill, while three other people were also killed in the area in as yet unknown circumstances.

In a speech delivered amid the violence, Biden demanded that the outgoing president intervene immediately on national television to end the chaos and calm his supporters.

“Our democracy is under unprecedented attack,” said the president-elect, in a serious and sad tone.

Soon after, Trump released a video in on Twitter which he asked his supporters to stand down, but in which he again brought up his idea that there was electoral fraud.

“I love you (…) I understand your pain (…) we had a choice that was stolen from us. But they have to go home now, ”he said.

In an unprecedented decision, there were social networks that removed the video of the president, considering that it could encourage violence. In addition, Twitter temporarily blocked the president’s account from its platforms (like Facebook) and warned that he could permanently suspend his account if he does not respect the rules.

Internationally, the surprise, indignation, and condemnation were unanimous. Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom or France called for the acts that “trample on democracy” to cease and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg insisted that the result of the elections must be “respected.”

Trump’s outright naysayers and enemies also reacted. Iranian President Hasan Rohani considered that what happened shows how “fragile and vulnerable” Western democracy is. The Venezuelan government estimated that the United States suffers from what it has generated in other countries with its aggressive policies.

Former President George W. Bush also did not shy away from criticizing his own Republican party. “This is how electoral results are disputed in a banana republic, not in our democratic republic,” he said.

Former Democratic presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama also deplored what happened, but were not surprised.

The unrest in Congress was “incited” by Trump, “who has continued to lie baselessly about the outcome of a legitimate election,” Obama said.