President Donald Trump, in a video released Wednesday evening, did not address being impeached for the second time despite becoming the first president to do so earlier that day.
“I unequivocally condemn the violence that we saw last week,” Trump said in a video released by the White House. “Violence and vandalism have absolutely no place in our country and our movement.” (RELATED: House Votes To Impeach President Trump For The Second Time)
Trump added that he was briefed earlier that day on potential violent acts planned ahead of President-elect Joe Bien’s inauguration on Jan. 20 and had directed federal agencies to utilize all possible resources to ensure a “peaceful” transfer of power.
The president had previously called the House’s second impeachment push the “continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics.”
“If you look at what other people have said, politicians at a high level, about the riots during the summer the horrible riots in Portland and Seattle and various other places. That was a real problem, what they said,” he said Tuesday of his speech that preceded the Capitol Riot stated. “But they’ve analyzed my speech and my words and my final paragraph, my final sentence and everybody to a T thought it was totally appropriate.”
WATCH:
232 House members, including 10 Republicans voted Wednesday afternoon to impeach Trump on one charge of “incitement of insurrection,” while 197 voted against.
Current Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, however, confirmed Wednesday that he will not recall senators prior to their scheduled return date of Jan. 19, meaning Trump’s second impeachment trial won’t take place until after President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Axios reported Tuesday that McConnell was “50-50” on voting to convict Trump once the trial starts, and the Kentucky Republican released a statement Wednesday that seemed to leave the door open on that line.