White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany delivered a brief message from “the entire White House” condemning the Wednesday violence at the Capitol “in the strongest possible terms.”
“Those who violently besieged our Capitol are the opposite of what this administration stands for,” McEnany said during a press briefing at the White House on Thursday. “We condemn it, the president and this administration, in the strongest possible terms.”
McEnany called for “violent rioters” who broke the law to be prosecuted and said they undermined the First Amendment rights of those “peacefully” protesting the electoral certification.
Officials at the White House are pursuing an orderly transition of power, she added. Supporters of President Trump protested the election results and breached the Capitol as lawmakers were attempting to certify the Electoral College results. Members of Congress in both parties maintained that Trump incited the violence.
McEnany spoke for less than two minutes and did not take questions.
Trump has remained largely silent since Twitter temporarily barred him from his account on Wednesday, though an aide published online a statement from him committing to an “orderly” transition of power.
