Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says Capitol riot mob “provoked” by Trump, and claims inauguration will be “safe and successful”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor Tuesday that “the mob” that attacked the Capitol “was fed lies.”“They were provoked by the President and other powerful people,” McConnell said.

“They tried to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government, which they did not like,” he added. “But we pressed on.”

McConnell said the Senate certified President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, and that he and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in tomorrow.

“We’ll have a safe and successful inaugural right here on the very front of the Capitol,” he said.

The Senate Republican leader said Congress would turn to work for the American people, and asserted that no party has a broad mandate after the 2020 elections.

“Certainly November’s elections did not hand any side a mandate for sweeping ideological change,” said McConnell. “Americans elected a closely divided Senate, a closely divided House and a presidential candidate who said he’d represent everyone.”

“So our marching orders from the American people are clear,” said McConnell. “We’re to have a robust discussion and seek common ground. We are to pursue bipartisan agreement everywhere we can, and check and balance one another, respectfully, where we must.”

“Through all this we must always keep in mind that we’re all Americans,” he added. “We all love this country. And we’re all in this together.”

McConnell’s comments came as the Senate prepares to hold an impeachment trial over the House’s charge of “incitement of insurrection” against Trump.

He said on Tuesday that the Senate has received a message from the House that Trump has been impeached but noted that the House has not yet transmitted the article to the Senate.