President Donald Trump has for the first time acknowledged Joe Biden as the winner of the US presidential election.
The US president in a speech on Friday, January 8, released via his Twitter handle, said now that congress has certified the election results, a new administration would be inaugurated on January 20.
President Trump says he will leave the White House on January 20
Source: Getty Images
He said his focus now is to ensure a smooth and orderly transition of power to the incoming Biden administration.
Trump said it was time for Americans to heal and reconcile.
The president also described the invasion of Capitol Hill by protesters as a heinous attack.
He said:
Like all Americans, I am outraged by the violence, lawlessness and mayhem.”
Trump claimed that he reacted to the violence by deploying the national guard and federal law enforcement to secure the building and expel the intruders.
The president said those responsible for the violence will pay.
He said:
“America is and must always be a nation of law and order. The demonstrators who infiltrated the Capitol have defiled the seat of American democracy.
“To those who engage in the acts of violence and destruction. You do not represent our country. And to those who broke the law, you will.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2021