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The invasion of Capitol Hill in the United States of America by President Donald Trump’s supporters has added a dark chapter to American political history and sealed the legacy of Trump’s presidential stewardship as perhaps the most despicable, and an indelible blot on the country’s democratic governance. President Trump’s manifest dishonesty and demagoguery deceived his supporters into believing that his electoral victory had been stolen and that his supporters could reclaim it by forcing Congress, through a violent coup d’etat, to reverse the results and procure for him a victory.
The truth, however, was that the election of November 3, 2020 was completely free of any incidents of fraud. Trump had been resoundingly and clearly defeated. The election was transparent and not a single illegal ballot was cast. The election was free, fair and credible. It was attested to by representatives of both parties and witnessed by international observers from all over the world.
President Trump must accept full responsibility for the insurrection. He set the agenda by falsely alleging that he won an election he clearly lost. He procured it by summoning his cult-like, brain-washed supporters, who worship him like a god, to assemble in Washington DC. He promised the supporters “it would be wild,” hinting at the violence which later materialised. When he addressed them, he poured venom into them, urging them to march on Capitol Hill, to demonstrate strength, to shore up flagging members of Congress so as to be able to reclaim their country which is being stolen from them. The crowd could not miss his call to arms, as he exhorted them “to fight, fight, and fight.” The crowd then broke through the Capitol Hill barricades, overwhelmed the Capitol Police and swept into the halls of Congress, baying for blood; they were on a mission to execute the assignment set for them by Trump, their “dear leader.” The rioters then seized the building complex, desecrated those hallowed chambers, trashed offices, looted whatever could be looted. When they left, five Americans were dead. Two more police officers later took their lives.
We do not wish to dwell on the imponderables of January 6. For a mob that was chanting “Hang (Vice-President) Mike Pence,” many of whom had sworn to harm House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, it is through sheer providence that America was spared a possible massacre of many Congress men and women, and mass fatalities which a careless shot or a stampede could have caused. The House of Representatives impeachment of the President is a just dessert for a crime which would resonate for centuries. Thus, Trump has become the first US president to be impeached twice in office. We urge a diligent prosecution of the charge and the Senate, this time, must stand up for truth and vote to convict him. Trump has demonstrated that he is a bad example of what a country’s president should be.
The invasion of the Capitol, the centuries-old symbol of the oldest democracy in the world, is clearly an abomination and must be condemned by all men who value democracy. The attempt by President Trump to thwart the constitutionally required certification of the Electoral College results by US Congress is a political atrocity for which he would forever be clothed in infamy. Through his entire tenure of four years, Trump has shown he has no regard for democracy and the rule of law. His preference for, and emulation of dictators is embarrassing and well-known. His slavish obeisance to Mr. Vladimir Putin of Russia is confounding but a true reflection of his character.
Trump’s claim that he won the November 3, 2020 election and it was stolen from him is a bare-faced lie. It must be the most pernicious lie ever told in America, and a general effort must be made to debunk the falsehood. The 174 House members, who voted to invalidate votes lawfully cast by their compatriots, must atone for their dishonesty and mischief, likewise Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley and other senators who falsely cast doubts on the free and fair presidential election and who helped President Trump to spread the falsehood. The racist geographical spread of Trump’s allegation points to his denigration of African-American people.
As a champion of white supremacists, Trump never believed in the right of black people to vote. He, therefore, had no qualms discarding millions of black votes in Philadelphia, Michigan, Atlanta, and Minneapolis. The Federal Bureau of Investigation should leave no stone unturned to ensure that all those who could be identified in the insurrection in Capitol Hill are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
