McConnell admits Trump 'provoked' supporters who stormed Capitol

Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) offered his take on the Capitol riot Tuesday as he criticized President Donald Trump for provoking the angry mob that stormed the federal building.

On Tuesday, Jan. 19, McConnell made a speech on the Senate floor for the first time since the Capitol riots. At one point during his remarks, he admitted that the riots were provoked by Trump and "other powerful people."

"The last time the Senate convened, we had just reclaimed the Capitol from violent criminals who tried to stop Congress from doing our duty. The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people," McConnell said.

The Kentucky lawmaker also expressed concern about the angry mob as he insisted they attempted "to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government which they did not like."

He also noted how lawmakers stood firm on upholding the Constitution. Despite the mob's attempt to hinder the electoral college certification, McConnell argued that lawmakers still prevailed.

McConnell said: "We stood together and said an angry mob would not get veto power over the rule of law in our nation, not even for one night," McConnell said.

"This election actually was not unusually close. Just in recent history, 1976, 2000, and 2004 were all closer than this one," he said.

Although McConnell did condemn the violence that took place, there's no indication that he would vote in favor of impeaching the president for inciting an insurrection.

In a note to his Senate colleagues last week, he wrote, "while the press has been full of speculation, I have not made a final decision on how I will vote and I intend to listen to the legal arguments when they are presented to the Senate."

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