Fallout intensifies over Trump’s response to Capitol riot

Twitter said Friday evening that it took action against the four tweets that President Trump shared from the @POTUS account.

“As we’ve said, using another account to try to evade a suspension is against our rules,” said a Twitter spokesperson. “We have taken steps to enforce this with regard to recent Tweets from the @POTUS account. For government accounts, such as @POTUS and @WhiteHouse, we will not suspend those accounts permanently but will take action to limit their use.”

Earlier today: Twitter’s decision to suspend Trump’s account followed two tweets Friday afternoon that would end up being his last.

The tweets violated the company’s policy against the glorification of violence, Twitter said in a blog post, and “these two Tweets must be read in the context of broader events in the country and the ways in which the President’s statements can be mobilized by different audiences, including to incite violence, as well as in the context of the pattern of behavior from this account in recent weeks.”

The four-tweet thread that President Trump sent from @POTUS, which quickly vanished from Twitter, included hints of Trump’s involvement with a potential alternative platform to Twitter and other social media. 

“We have been negotiating with various other sites, and we will have a big announcement soon … while we also look at the possibilities of building out our own platform in the near future. We will not be SILENCED!” Trump said in the now-unavailable tweets.

Earlier Friday, Twitter announced it had permanently suspended Trump from its platform.

The company also told CNN it will enforce its policy against ban evasions to ensure that Trump does not circumvent his personal account’s suspension.

“If it is clear that another account is being used for the purposes of evading a ban, it is also subject to suspension,” Twitter said in a statement. “For government accounts, such as @POTUS and @WhiteHouse, we will not suspend those accounts but will take action to limit their use. However, these accounts will be transitioned over to the new administration in due course and will not be suspended by Twitter unless absolutely necessary to alleviate real-world harm.”

Twitter’s policy would also prohibit Trump from directing a third party to operate a Twitter account on his behalf.

Cruz speaks at a campaign rally for Sen. Kelly Loeffler, on Saturday, January 2, in Cumming, Georgia.

A former communications director for Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, Amanda Carpenter, sharply criticized the Texas lawmaker today for his role in supporting President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and incite the attack on the Capitol. 

“The new Ted Cruz, post-Trump, is one I don’t recognize,” said Carpenter, who is a CNN contributor. “I can surmise he thinks he’s a smart lawyer who can parse his his way out of it, and in his mind he has some kind of rational but that’s just not believable.”

“It is so horrifying to watch someone descend into this and not be able to admit what happened when you worked for him and you believed in him,” Carpenter told CNN’s Erin Burnett.

“It is really hard to watch,” she added.

Twitter’s decision to suspend President Trump’s account followed two tweets Friday afternoon that would end up being his last.

The tweets violated the company’s policy against the glorification of violence, Twitter said in a blog post, and “these two Tweets must be read in the context of broader events in the country and the ways in which the President’s statements can be mobilized by different audiences, including to incite violence, as well as in the context of the pattern of behavior from this account in recent weeks.”

The first tweet was about Trump’s supporters. 

The second indicated Trump did not plan to attend Joe Biden’s inauguration.  

Twitter said the tweet concerning the inauguration could be viewed as a further statement that the election was not legitimate. It also said that the tweet could be interpreted as Trump saying that the inauguration would be a “safe” target for violence because he would not be attending. 

Trump’s other statement about American patriots suggested that “he plans to continue to support, empower, and shield those who believe he won the election,” Twitter said.

Twitter told CNN the company will enforce its policy against ban evasions to ensure that Trump does not circumvent his personal account’s suspension.

“If it is clear that another account is being used for the purposes of evading a ban, it is also subject to suspension,” Twitter said in a statement. “For government accounts, such as @POTUS and @WhiteHouse, we will not suspend those accounts but will take action to limit their use. However, these accounts will be transitioned over to the new administration in due course and will not be suspended by Twitter unless absolutely necessary to alleviate real-world harm.”

Twitter’s policy would also prohibit Trump from directing a third party to operate a Twitter account on his behalf.

Civil rights leaders who have long criticized tech platforms for spreading hate speech and division welcomed Twitter’s decision.  

Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, called it an “excellent step.” 

“A fitting end to a legacy of spewing hate and vitriol,” Greenblatt said. “President Trump incited the violent riots at the Capitol using social media & paid the price.”

Eric Naing, a spokesperson for Muslim Advocates, said Twitter “is showing real leadership.”

“As Twitter notes, letting Trump continue to post tweets, Facebook posts and YouTube videos for his white nationalist supporters risks ‘further incitement of violence,’” Naing said. “Now it is up to Facebook and Google/YouTube to follow Twitter’s lead.”

Rep. Jason Crow

President Trump presents a danger to the nation’s domestic security and should be removed from office as quickly as possible, Democratic Rep. Jason Crow said today.

“Donald Trump is a very violent and dangerous man,” Crow said, speaking on CNN this afternoon. “He is unstable. He is not well … he is a danger to … the domestic security of our nation and the security of individual Americans.” 

“It has to stop as quickly as we can make it stop,” added the Colorado lawmaker, who was one of many members of Congress trapped by a mob inside the US Capitol on Wednesday. 

Crow, who was an impeachment manager during the first impeachment of Trump, said it was too soon to say when a vote on impeachment might take place in the House, but it could be mid-to-late next week. 

Twitter has suspended President Trump from its platform, the company said Friday evening. 

“After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” Twitter said. 

Twitter added: “In the context of horrific events this week, we made it clear on Wednesday that additional violations of the Twitter Rules would potentially result in this very course of action.”

Read the statement:

Pelosi walks down a hallway at the US Capitol on Friday, January 8, in Washington, DC.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House is prepared to move ahead with impeachment if President Trump doesn’t resign.

She said in a statement Friday that she has instructed the House Rules Committee to prepare for a meeting to approve a rule that would govern floor debate for an impeachment resolution as well as a bill Rep. Jamie Raskin has proposed to create a congressional commission that would allow the 25th Amendment to be invoked.

Read her statement:

President Trump and his attorney Rudy Giuliani both mistakenly made calls to Republican Sen. Mike Lee as deadly riots were unfolding at the US Capitol earlier this week, a spokesperson for the senator confirmed to CNN — calls that were intended for another GOP senator the White House was frantically trying to convince to delay the counting of Electoral College votes.  

Lee’s spokesperson said the two calls from Trump and his attorney were intended for Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a newly elected Republican from Alabama.

The effort by the White House to get Tuberville to delay certification of the votes provides insight into the President’s thinking and priorities as a mob of his supports lay siege on the iconic building.

As the President worked to convince Tuberville to delay the process, he and other top White House officials did little to check in on Vice President Mike Pence while he and members of his family were inside the Capitol when the rioters stormed it, a source close to the vice president told CNN.

Trump first called the personal cell phone of Lee, a Republican from Utah, shortly after 2 p.m. ET. At that time the senators had been evacuated from the Senate floor and were in a temporary holding room huddling in place, as a pro-Trump mob began breaching the Capitol.

Lee picked up the phone and Trump identified himself, and it became clear he was looking for Tuberville and had been given the wrong number. Lee, keeping the President on hold, went to find his colleague and handed him his phone, telling him the President was on the line and had been trying to reach him.

Tuberville spoke with Trump for less than 10 minutes, with the President trying to convince him to make additional objections to the Electoral College vote in a futile effort to block Congress’ certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s win, according to a source familiar with the call. The call was cut off because senators were asked to move to a secure location.

CNN has reached out to Tuberville’s office for comment.

The second call to Lee came in at 7 p.m. ET from Giuliani. Lee did not answer the call so it went to voicemail. Lee’s office confirmed to CNN that the voicemail was intended for Tuberville and that the message left from Giuliani was very similar to one another unnamed GOP senator received. The transcript of that call was published by the news blog emptywheel.

“Sen. Tuberville? Or I should say Coach Tuberville. This is Rudy Giuliani, the President’s lawyer,” he said according to the transcript.

“I’m calling you because I want to discuss with you how they’re trying to rush this hearing and how we need you, our Republican friends, to try to just slow it down so we can get these legislatures to get more information to you,” Giuliani said, referring to unfounded claims of voter fraud in the presidential election. 

“I know they’re reconvening at 8 tonight, but it … the only strategy we can follow is to object to numerous states and raise issues so that we get ourselves into tomorrow — ideally until the end of tomorrow.” 

Tuberville was unaware that Giuliani had tried to reach him until it was publicly reported, according to the source.

Tuberville was likely seen by Trump and Giuliani as someone who could help further their cause on Wednesday, as the Republican senator was among a group of six GOP senators who voted to sustain an objection raised against Arizona’s electoral votes, which failed 93-6.

CNN reported on Wednesday that even after Congress was reconvening that night following the riot, Trump was still urging senators to push ahead with the protest on the certification of Biden as president, according to a source familiar with the discussions.

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski is calling on President Donald Trump to resign following the riots at the Capitol on Wednesday, making her the first Republican senator to take that step.

“I think he should leave. He said he’s not going to show up. He’s not going to appear at the inauguration. He hasn’t been focused on what is going on with Covid. He’s either been golfing or he’s been inside the Oval Office fuming and throwing every single person who has been loyal and faithful to him under the bus, starting with the vice president,” Murkowski told the paper.

Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, a member of GOP leadership, said an impeachment of President Trump is “not going to happen.”

“When (House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi and (Senate Minority Leader) Chuck Schumer were talking about it, it’s obviously just another political point trying to be made. It’s disappointing. It’d be much more disappointing if people can’t through see that.” Blunt said.

House Democrats are currently planning to introduce articles of impeachment against Trump as soon as Monday, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. 

That could set up a vote in the House early to the middle of next week. Pelosi has not explicitly said when this will go to the floor. 

The Department of Justice on Friday announced that 13 people are facing federal charges stemming from a riot Wednesday at the Capitol.

The full court records have not yet been made available for all defendants and only a handful of the individuals have made court appearances. 

In addition to those who have been charged, the Justice Department says that additional complaints “have been submitted and investigations are ongoing.”

House Democrats are currently planning to introduce articles of impeachment against President Trump as soon as Monday, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. 

Here’s a portion of the latest version of the articles of impeachment that will be formally introduced by House Judiciary Democrats on Monday, provided by a Democratic source. It includes one article: “incitement of insurrection.” 

The article continues:

“Wherefore President Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law. President Trump thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.”

One of the few things President-elect Joe Biden and President Trump have agreed on is that the latter should not attend the inauguration on Jan. 20.

Not only will Trump not attend, a source with knowledge of her plans told CNN that first lady Melania Trump will also not attend Biden’s inauguration.

The Trumps are right now scheduled to leave Washington on Jan. 19, this source said, but cautions those plans could change.

Trump conceded publicly for the first time last night that he will not serve a second term, stopping short of congratulating Biden but acknowledging a transfer of power is now underway.

Biden was later asked about the possibility of Vice President Mike Pence attending the inauguration.

“He’s welcome,” the President-elect said, adding that he believes it is important to stick to historical precedent in the changing of an administration as possible.

“I’d be honored to have him there and to move forward in the transition,” Biden said, adding that he has not spoken with Pence.

CNN’s Sarah Mucha contributed to this report.

Watch the moment:

Following the violent riot on the US Capitol earlier this week, President-elect Joe Biden said that since a different protection agency oversees the inauguration, he’s confident it will go off “without a hitch.”

Biden’s comments come as the US Capitol Police — the agency in charge of protecting the US Capitol — faces backlash for its handling of the Wednesday riot.

Today, Biden said the riot and security surrounding it must be “thoroughly investigated.”

“That has to be thoroughly investigated, the authorities responsible have to be held accountable for the failures that occurred, and we have to make sure that this can never, ever happen again,” he said.

Watch the moment:

Asked by CNN whether he believes it is right for Congress to introduce articles of impeachment on Monday, President-elect Joe Biden refused to weigh in. 

“What the Congress decides to do is for them to decide,” he said. 

Biden said he’s thought for “a long, long time that President Trump wasn’t fit to hold the job. That’s why I ran. My job now in 12 days, God-willing, I’ll be President of the United States.” 

The President-elect said his priority right now is preparing for his new administration and that he is focused on three concerns: the virus, vaccine, and economic growth. 

“So we’re going to do our job, and the Congress can decide how to proceed with theirs,” Biden continued.

Biden said that he will be speaking with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer later this afternoon. 

Watch the moment:

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi walks down a hallway at the US Capitol building on January 8.

House Democrats are currently planning to introduce articles of impeachment against President Trump as soon as Monday, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. 

That could set up a vote in the House early to the middle of next week. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has not explicitly said when this will go to the floor. 

This would be the second time the House has unveiled articles of impeachment against President Trump.

In December 2019, the House impeached Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senate acquitted him on both charges last February.

Vice President Mike Pence tweeted that he and the second lady were “deeply saddened to learn of the passing of US Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick and send our deepest sympathies and prayers to his family, friends and fellow officers.”

Pence goes on to write Sicknick was “American hero who gave his life defending our Capitol.”

President Trump has not commented specifically on the death of Sicknick at the hands of insurrectionists he incited, however the White House released a statement through deputy press secretary Judd Deere.

“Anytime a member of law enforcement dies in the line of duty it is a solemn reminder to us all that they run toward danger to maintain peace. The President and the entire Administration extend our prayers to Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick’s family as we all grieve the loss of this American hero,” Deere said in a statement to CNN.

See Pence’s tweets:

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he believes President Trump should resign.

Cuomo said he calls upon every New York federal official to call for Trump’s resignation so that the country may be spared another impeachment process.  

“The question will always be, what did you do when Washington anarchy descended?” he asked. “What did you do at that moment? And you’ll live with the consequences.”

Cuomo described Wednesday’s events at the US Capitol Building as “horrific.”

“This was the result of a leader, who for four years actually appealed to the worst in people, appealed to fear and racism and discrimination, appealed to people’s fear of different people,” he said. “When you demonize differences, you literally tear the fabric of this nation apart.”

Cuomo also expressed shock at the security failures that allowed a mob of Trump supporters to breach the Capitol. 

“From a security point of view, I’m shocked at what they allowed to happen,” Cuomo said. “If you look at this, any bunch of thugs, any mob can literally take over the government, which is what they did.”

Rep. Adam Schiff attends a news conference in Washington, DC, on September 23.

On a conference call with Democrats, House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff discussed what would happen with the Senate impeachment trial if the House impeaches President Trump, according to multiple sources on the call. 

Since Republicans are unlikely to hold a trial before Jan. 20, Senate Democrats would be able to hold a trial after Jan. 20 once they officially take the majority.

That could be awkward for the Biden administration as the new President tries to unite the country and focus on the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Also, Schiff noted a Senate trial after Trump leaves would present a messaging challenge since they are arguing now he is an imminent threat to the republic. But Schiff argued it would still be valid as a constitutional act and convicting Trump after leaving office would be important to prevent him from running again, they said. 

Rep. Jamie Raskin also laid out the realities of impeachment and the 25th Amendment.

Raskin said the 25th Amendment could happen via the Cabinet and Vice President Mike Pence, but added that there’s another route: Congress could create a commission, a majority of which could then vote to remove Trump. If Pence consents, he is removed. But they recognize that is unlikely to happen with the time left and that Pence is unlikely to go along. But there was talk about passing such a bill to create a commission to keep the pressure on Trump.

In terms of timing for an impeachment vote, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi hasn’t explicitly said, but did say she would consult with House Rules Chairman Jim McGovern about the process. They are considering allowing the Rules Committee to act first but that committee hasn’t been formally organized yet.

Derrick Evans, a West Virginia state legislator who recorded himself storming the Capitol on Wednesday, faces criminal charges, US officials said.

Evans has been charged in a criminal complaint with entering restricted area and entering the US Capitol, said Ken Kohl, a top official in the US attorney’s office for Washington, DC.