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A28 u.s. news
Diaranson 13 Januari 2021

Trump takes no responsibility for riot, visits Texas

(AP) — President Donald and often unlawful — action
Trump on Tuesday took no to try to curb both illegal and
responsibility for his part in legal immigration. Their ef-
fomenting a violent insurrec- forts were aided in his fi-
tion at the U.S. Capitol last nal year by the coronavirus
week, despite his comments pandemic, which ground
encouraging supporters to international travel to a halt.
march on the Capitol and But the number of people
praise for them while they stopped trying to cross the
were still carrying out the as- southern border illegally
sault. has been creeping back up
in recent months. Figures
“People thought that what I from December show near-
said was totally appropriate,” ly 74,000 encounters at the
Trump said. southwest border, up 3%
from November and up 81%
He made the comments from a year earlier.
during his first appearance
in public since the Capitol Mark Morgan, acting com-
siege, which came as law- missioner of U.S. Customs
makers were tallying Elec- and Border Protection, has
toral College votes affirming warned the next administra-
President-elect Joe Biden’s tion that easing Trump ad-
victory. Trump arrived in ministration policies, includ-
Texas on Tuesday to trumpet ing a halt to wall construc-
his campaign against illegal tion, would lead to a surge
immigration in an attempt of people seeking to cross the
to burnish his legacy with border, creating "an unmiti-
eight days remaining in his gated crisis in the first few
term, as lawmakers in Con- weeks.”
gress appeared set to impeach
him this week for the second ers sheltered in secure loca- a second impeachment. by Inauguration Day. The Biden has said he’d halt con-
time. tions, Trump, at the urging vast majority of that wall re- struction of the border wall
of aides who were shocked Aides have been urging the places smaller barriers that and take executive action
The rampage through the by the violence, released a president to spend his re- had already existed, though where possible to reverse
halls of Congress sent law- video seemingly excusing the maining days in office high- the new wall is considerably some of Trump’s restrictions
makers of both parties and events, saying of the rioters: lighting what they see as the more difficult to bypass. on legal immigration and
Trump's own vice president “We love you. You’re very chief accomplishments of his asylum seekers. But Biden
into hiding, as crowds called special. Go home.” presidency: a massive tax cut, A few dozen Trump support- and his aides have acknowl-
for Mike Pence's lynching for his efforts to roll back federal ers rallied hours before his edged the possibility of a new
his role overseeing the vote Speaking Tuesday, Trump regulations and the transfor- visit to the Rio Grande Valley crisis at the border if they act
count. The scene also under- said the “real problem” was mation of federal courts with near the Harlingen, Texas, too quickly, and Biden has
mined the hallmark of the not his rhetoric, but the rhet- the appointment of conserva- airport, where he was sched- said it could take six months
republic — the peaceful tran- oric that Democrats used to tive judges. But Trump has uled to land. They planned for his administration to se-
sition of power. At least five describe Black Lives Matter repeatedly resisted their ef- to stage a caravan of vehicles cure funding and put in place
people died, including one protests and violence in Seat- forts as he has remained en- flying flags that support the the necessary infrastructure
Capitol Police officer. tle and Portland this summer, sconced in the White House, president and far-right causes to loosen Trump-era restric-
behind closed doors, con- like the QAnon conspiracy tions.
In the days leading up to “Everybody to the ‘t’ thought sumed by baseless allegations theory.
the Jan. 6 certification vote, it was totally appropriate,” of voter fraud and conspira- After the Capitol violence,
Trump encouraged his sup- Trump said of his own com- cies. Four people interviewed groups including the South-
porters to descend on Wash- ments. Tuesday morning all said ern Poverty Law Center
ington, D.C., promising a Trump is expected to deliver they believed antifa and Black urged Trump to call off his
“wild” rally in support of his Trump headed to Alamo, remarks highlighting his ad- Lives Matter activists staged visit.
baseless claims of election Texas, a city in the Rio ministration's efforts to curb the Capitol riot, though fed-
fraud, despite his own ad- Grande Valley near the U.S.- illegal immigration and the eral authorities have uni- “The violence Trump incited
ministration’s findings to the Mexican border — the site progress made on his signa- formly identified far-right last week, and the violence
contrary. Speaking for more of the 450th mile of the bor- ture 2016 campaign prom- activists as responsible. Two his anti-immigrant policies
than an hour to a crowd on der wall his administration is ise: building a “big, beauti- people said they still believed cause stem from the alarm-
the Ellipse, Trump encour- building. ful wall” across the length Trump would be inaugurated ing mainstreaming of white
aged supporters to “fight like of the southern border — an for a second term next week, nationalist ideology that our
hell” and suggested that Re- Alamo is named after the imposing structure made of even after Congress certified country must reckon with
publican lawmakers would San Antonio mission where concrete and reinforced steel. Biden’s victory and courts at and fight to uproot," said
need “more courage not to a small group of Texan inde- Over time, Trump demanded every level have dismissed Efrén Olivares, deputy legal
step up” and overturn the pendence-fighters fended off modifications that have been Trump’s baseless claims of director of the center’s Im-
will of voters to grant him Mexican forces during a 13- largely rejected: He wanted widespread voter fraud. migrant Justice Project. “The
another term in office. He day siege. Most of them died, it painted black to burn the president’s planned trip to
also suggested he would join but the mission became a hands of those who touched “If he is able to see us, we the border will only further
them in marching on the symbol of resistance for Tex- it; he wanted it adorned with hope that it would encour- the harm and beget more vio-
Capitol. ans, who eventually defeated deadly spikes; he even want- age him and lift up his spir- lence."
the Mexican army. ed to surround it with an alli- its,” said Sharon Katie Taylor,
As Trump wrapped up, thou- gator-filled moat. a retiree from Iowa. “The ___ Associated Press writers
sands of his supporters were Trump's visit — no doubt a people voted him in, and that Nooman Merchant in Har-
already heading to the Capi- symbol of the president's de- In the end, his administration will be proven.” lingen, Texas; Ben Fox and
tol, where lawmakers con- fiance — comes as he spends has overseen the construc- Alexandra Jaffe in Washing-
vened to count the electoral the final days of his presi- tion of roughly 450 miles Over the last four years, ton; and Elliot Spagat in San
votes. As rioters were still in dency isolated, aggrieved and of border wall construction Trump and his administra- Diego contributed to this re-
the building and lawmak- staring down the prospect of — likely reaching 475 miles tion have taken extreme — port.