White House aides reportedly try and fail to convince Trump to denounce storming of Capitol
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President Trump has urged his supporters who breached the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday to "stay peaceful," but his aides, some of whom are reportedly "furious" with the commander-in-chief, want him to issue a stronger statement condemning the situation. Unfortunately for them, he doesn't appear interested at this point.
Trump's reason for holding out may be tied to his anger at Vice President Mike Pence, The New York Times' Maggie Haberman reports. The president is upset that Pence refused to try to block the Electoral College certification, even though he doesn't have the constitutional authority to do so.
Per people close to the White House, several official and unofficial aides are trying - without success - to get the president to issue a stronger statement. He simply won't do it. He's been furious at Pence for refusing to do something he doesn't have power to do and that's that
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 6, 2021
Haberman also pointed out that Trump and those in his orbit, including his daughter Ivanka Trump and his attorney Rudy Giuliani, have hedged while calling on people to act without violence. Ivanka Trump described the supporters as "American patriots," while Giuliani said Trump's supporters were "on the right side of the law and history."
Trump did go on to release a video asking his supporters to "go home," though, like Ivanka Trump and Giuliani, he expressed sympathy with their cause. It's unclear if the message is what his advisers were hoping to hear.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021
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