Trump "Promises smooth transition to new government on the 20th... Those who stormed the Capitol will be punished"

Acknowledging Presidential Election Defeat, Promising Regime Transfer on January 20
Starting to Distance from Rioters Amid Impeachment Rumors

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-woo] U.S. President Donald Trump promised a smooth launch of the new administration on the inauguration day of President-elect Joe Biden on the 20th and stated that violent acts would be punished. This comes amid moves in the U.S. Congress to impeach the president for the responsibility over the pro-Trump supporters' storming of the Capitol in Washington DC the previous day, with analyses suggesting that Trump is trying to avoid responsibility.

On the 7th (local time), President Trump posted a video message on his Twitter, saying, "The new administration will launch on the 20th, and I will work for a smooth transfer of power," condemning the pro-Trump supporters' storming of the Capitol in Washington DC as "heinous acts that will be punished." He also expressed acceptance of his election defeat, saying, "It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as President of the United States."

[Image source=Dan Scavino, White House Social Media Director Twitter]

Earlier, on the previous day, President Trump’s Twitter account was suspended for 12 hours, and through the Twitter account of Dan Scavino, White House Director of Social Media, a statement was released expressing support for a smooth transfer of power to the new administration. In the statement, President Trump emphasized, "Although I do not fully agree with the election results, there will be an orderly transition on January 20th."

However, the statement did not condemn the violent protests at the Capitol, and the last part of the statement said, "This is not the end but just the beginning of our fight to make America great again, marking the end of the greatest first term in presidential history," which sparked controversy as it indicated continued refusal to accept the election results. It was also interpreted as a sign of his intention to run in the next presidential election.

U.S. media analyze that the reason President Trump suddenly distanced himself from the protesters is due to increasing isolation caused by the impeachment moves in Congress and the successive resignations of his aides. CNN reported, "The statement came after reports that initial discussions on resuming impeachment proceedings are underway in Congress," adding, "The resignations of key aides are continuing, and there are talks within the Republican Party about invoking the 25th Amendment, which is evidence of growing isolation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.