Trump acknowledges defeat in election

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump for the first time on Thursday acknowledged his defeat in the Nov. 3 election and condemned the violent supporters who stormed the nation’s Capitol Wednesday.

In a new video message, Trump said that now that Congress has certified the results, the "new administration will be inaugurated on January 20" and his "focus now turns to ensuring a smooth orderly and seamless transition of power."

He said, "This moment calls for healing and reconciliation. 2020 has been a challenging time for our people. A menacing pandemic has upended the lives of our citizens, isolated millions in their homes, damaged our economy and claimed countless lives. Defeating this pandemic and rebuilding the greatest economy on Earth will require all of us working together."

He also spoke out against the violence, calling it a "heinous attack" that left him "outraged by the violence, lawlessness and mayhem."

Trump did not address his role in inciting the violence. But he told his supporters that, while he knows they are "disappointed," he wants them to know "our incredible journey is only just beginning."

The video came on a day when Sen. Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- the two top Democrats in Congress -- called for Trump’s immediate removal, several White House aides resigned and the chief of the U.S. Capitol Police announced his resignation.

Earlier Thursday, Trump announced there would be an "orderly transition" on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, after Congress concluded the electoral vote count early Thursday certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.

Trump’s acknowledgment came after a day of chaos and destruction on Capitol Hill as a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol and unleashed unprecedented scenes of mayhem in hopes of halting the peaceful transition of power. Members of Congress were forced into hiding, offices were ransacked, and the formal congressional tally of Electoral College votes was halted for more than six hours.

The president has spent the past two months refusing to concede and making baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud, even though his own Justice Department, federal courts, including the Supreme Court, and state governments have said repeatedly the vote was carried out freely and fairly.

Earlier Thursday, lawmakers were resolved to complete the Electoral College tally in a display to the country, and the world of the nation’s enduring commitment to uphold the will of the voters and the peaceful transfer of power. They pushed through the night with tensions high and the nation’s capital on alert.

Shortly before 4 a.m. Thursday, lawmakers finished their work, confirming Biden won the election.

Vice President Mike Pence, presiding over the joint session, announced the tally, 306-232.

Congress reconvened late Wednesday, with lawmakers decrying the protests that defaced the Capitol and vowing to finish confirming the Electoral College vote for Biden’s election, even if it took all night.

Pence reopened the Senate and directly addressed the demonstrators: "You did not win."

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the "failed insurrection" underscored lawmakers’ duty to finish the count. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress would show the world "what America is made of" with the outcome.

The domed Capitol building has for centuries been the scene of protests and occasional violence. But Wednesday’s events were particularly astounding both because they unfolded at least initially with the implicit blessing of the president and because of the underlying goal of overturning the results of a free and fair presidential election.