Thousands of Donald Trump’s supporters, egged on by Trump espousing false election conspiracy theories, turned violent and stormed the Capitol Wednesday, breaking in and forcing members of Congress to temporarily flee. Ceremonial counting of electoral ballots was paused, and one woman was shot and killed during the partisan riot.
As the Capitol Building was breached by Trump-inspired protestors in a way that few Americans have ever seen or expected, Virgin Islands Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett called the mob domestic terrorists.
Plaskett said she divided her time between watching the Trump rally at the White House and the unprecedented storming of the heretofore sacred congressional chambers.
Congress had convened to count the 2020 presidential election’s electoral votes and certify the election of Joe Biden.
Plaskett unequivocally stated the soon-to-be-former president encouraged the unprecedented breach. Trump’s remarks, she said, “had a lot to do with the level of violence.”
Plaskett called Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s statement that the mob was simply exercising their constitutional right to protest, “disingenuous.”
“This is way beyond that,” Plaskett said.
As she was speaking to the media, Plaskett received a text stating that Speaker Nancy Pelosi was safe.
She said she was also “glad to know the peaceful protesters are safe and am grateful to the Capitol Police for their service.”
Before her phone was disconnected, the delegate told C-SPAN moderator Greta Brawner she expects Congress will move forward in their duty. “We will reconvene and certify the election,” Plaskett said, adding, “The president must be held accountable for his words which encouraged this.”
In a phone conversation at 5 p.m. AST, Plaskett said the mob represented the “last throes of white supremacy,” adding, “What they don’t understand is that diversity is what actually makes America great.”
