‘They were provoked by the president’: Mitch McConnell blames Trump for deadly Capitol riots

• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blame President Donald Trump on Tuesday for his role in the deadly Capitol riots. 
• “The mob was fed lies,” McConnell said. “They were provoked by the president and other powerful people.”
• McConnell previously condemned the violence and was rumored to have been upset with the president.
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday directly blamed President Donald Trump for motivating the violent Capitol riots that took place on January 6. 

“The mob was fed lies,” the Republican leader said on the Senate floor. “They were provoked by the president and other powerful people.”

McConnell’s rebuke of Trump comes as the outgoing president faces an upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate over the deadly siege at the Capitol. Trump was impeached last week for incitement of insurrection after his supporters breached the Capitol building while Congress was meeting to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s 2020 victory.

“They tried to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government, which they did not like,” McConnell said. “But we pressed on. We stood together and said an angry mob would not get veto power over the rule of law in our nation, not even for one night. We certified the people’s choice for their 46th president.”

McConnell condemned the violent scene after Congress reconvened to complete the election certification later on January 6.

—CSPAN (@cspan) January 19, 2021