Five people are dead after pro-Trump insurrectionists attacked the United States Capitol. Now, it’s up to the country’s elected leaders to steer what some Americans fear is a sinking ship.
Many Democrats (and some Republicans) want President Trump out of office as soon as possible, even though he only has two weeks left in his term. On Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told colleagues the House will move to impeach Trump “immediately” if he doesn’t resign.
Republican legislators have condemned the attack, but have largely called for the country to move on. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said that the president’s rhetoric went too far —but still voted to challenge electors from Arizona during a failed attempt to overturn the electoral college results. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham echoed a statement made by Trump after he incited the riots, and tweeted that it was time for the country to “heal and move on.”
Other Republicans have responded by spreading lies and misinformation, including debunked stories about the rioters secretly being members of Antifa (which is not an organization).
What will Congress do next? And what precedents need to be set by our lawmakers going forward?
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