Shutterstock
In the aftermath of a chaotic and ugly attack on the United States Capitol, the Republican Party is outraged with the conduct of President Donald Trump. Despite many Congressional Republicans backing the president’s claims of voter fraud and supporting his fight for free and fair elections, the events in the Capitol on January 6 shook many to their core.
A crowd of enraged supporters of the president, many brandishing improvised weapons, surged into the Capitol as Congress was certifying the Electoral College vote for Joe Biden. Capitol police tried to contain them, and the nation’s leadership was whisked to safety in the chaos.
Five people have died as a result of the riot: one woman was shot in the neck by capitol police, three of the president’s supporters died from medical emergencies, and one capitol officer later succumbed to wounds he suffered during the attack.
Vice President Mike Pence has privately stated that he feels “betrayed” by the president, according to sources close to him. Instead of rewarding his four years of loyalty, the president encouraged a crowd of rowdy protesters to break into the Capitol while Pence was presiding over Congress. Many Republicans are now privately discussing the potential of another impeachment trial, a measure that would prevent Trump from running for president again in 2024.
The president, who has remained consistently popular with his core supporters, finally publicly acknowledged that he will not be in the White House after January 20 in a video released on Friday. The video also showed a backpedaling from the president, with him forcefully denouncing the violence that occurred on Wednesday. A video message he released the afternoon of the riot included bizarre language, including the president telling the rioters “you’re very special” and “we love you”.
There is no doubt that Joe Biden will be taking office for a term that will run from January 20, 2021, through January 20, 2025. Republicans lost control of the House of Representatives in 2018, and they’re set to lose the White House and the Senate when the new president is sworn in. This is a frustrating outcome for many: Republicans were in power during the ascension of the greatest American economy in history.
That their thanks would be losing power in two branches of government is a bitter pill to swallow at the end of the Trump administration. Now, with the Capitol attack looming over the party, many are worried that the president has left a permanent scar on the Republican party. While conservative justices still make up a 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court, those justices have shown an unwillingness to interfere in electoral matters.
Many Republicans are now calling for a future of the party that does not include Donald Trump or his family. However, the last four years made the word “Republican” and “Trump” inseparable. How the party can move forward now without losing even more ground to Democrats is anyone’s guess. However, it is imperative for Congressional Republicans that the transition of power go smoothly so they can focus on regrouping for the upcoming 2022 midterm elections, where they hope to win back the Senate and House of Representatives.
