The President: My fellow Americans. I want to speak to you tonight about the troubling events of the past week. As I have said, the United States Capitol raid struck at the very heart of our republic. It angered and horrified millions of Americans across the political spectrum. I want to be very clear; I unequivocally condemn the violence we saw last week. Violence and vandalism have absolutely no place in our country or in our movement. Making America Great Again has always been about upholding the rule of law, supporting the men and women of law enforcement, and upholding our nation’s most sacred traditions and values.
Mob violence goes against everything I believe in and everything our movement stands for. No true supporter of mine could endorse political violence. No true supporter of mine could ever disrespect law enforcement or our great American flag. No true supporter of mine could threaten or harass his fellow Americans. If you do any of these things, you are not supporting our movement, you are attacking it, and you are attacking our country. We can’t tolerate it. Tragically, over the course of the past year, so difficult due to COVID-19, we have seen political violence spiral out of control. We have seen too many riots, too many mobs, too many acts of intimidation and destruction.
It must stop whether you are left or right, Democrat or Republican. There is never a justification for violence, there are no excuses, there are no exceptions. America is a nation of laws. Those who participated in last week’s attacks will be brought to justice. Now, I ask everyone who has ever believed in our agenda to think of ways to ease tensions, calm down, and help promote peace in our country. There have been reports that additional demonstrations are being planned in the coming days, both here in Washington and across the country. I have been briefed by the United States Secret Service on potential threats.
All Americans deserve to have their voices heard in a respectful and peaceful manner. That is your First Amendment right. But I cannot stress that there should be no violence, no law breaking, no vandalism of any kind. Everyone must follow our laws and obey the instructions of law enforcement. I have directed federal agencies to use all necessary resources to maintain order. In Washington, D.C., we are bringing in thousands of National Guardsmen to secure the city and ensure that the transition can occur safely and without incident. Like all of you, I was shocked and deeply saddened by the calamity on Capitol Hill last week.
I want to thank the hundreds of millions of incredible American citizens who have responded to this moment with calm, restraint, and grace. We will rise to this challenge, as we always do. I also want to say a few words about the unprecedented assault on free speech that we have seen in recent days. These are tense and difficult times, efforts to censor, cancel and blacklist our fellow citizens are wrong and dangerous. What is needed now is for us to listen to each other, not silence each other. All of us can choose through our actions to overcome grudges and find common ground and shared purpose.
We must concentrate on promoting the interests of the entire nation. Deliver miracle vaccines, beat the pandemic, rebuild the economy, protect our national security, and uphold the rule of law. Today I call on all Americans to rise above the passions of the moment and come together as one American people. Let us choose to move forward, united for the good of our families, our communities and our country. Thanks. God bless you and God bless America.