Former Defense Secretary James Mattis blamed Wednesday’s chaos at the Capitol on President Donald Trump, describing the events as a “violent assault … fomented by Mr. Trump.”
Mattis served as Trump’s first secretary of defense and was among several former Pentagon officials who served in the Trump administration and condemned the president for making and amplifying the claims of election fraud which prompted the protest and eventual riot, ABC News reported.
“Today’s violent assault on our Capitol, an effort to subjugate American democracy by mob rule, was fomented by Mr. Trump,” Mattis said. (RELATED: Former Senator McCaskill Laments Riot After President Called On Supporters To March On Capitol)
Pres. Trump’s former defense secretary, Jim Mattis, is blaming the president for the “violent assault” at the U.S. Capitol, calling it “an effort to subjugate American democracy by mob rule.” https://t.co/c0hf8NlnET pic.twitter.com/LEjT2aACGW
— ABC News (@ABC) January 7, 2021
“His use of the Presidency to destroy trust in our election and to poison our respect for fellow citizens has been enabled by pseudo political leaders whose names will live in infamy as profiles in cowardice,” Mattis continued. “Our Constitution and our Republic will overcome this strain and We the People will come together again in our never-ending effort to form a more perfect Union, while Mr. Trump will deservedly be left a man without a country.”
Retired Marine General Joseph Dunford who served as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff under Trump also chimed in to denounce yesterday’s riot.
“I believe our leaders who have continued to undermine a peaceful transition in accordance with our Constitution have set the conditions for today’s violence,” Dunford explained.
“This is an outrageous assault on our democracy and a sad day for our Nation,” he added. “It’s time for all Americans and particularly our elected officials to put our Country first. As many have said, we’re better than this.”