© Provided by PeopleJim Bennett/Getty; Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Michelle Obama
Former First Lady Michelle Obama has released a statement addressing Wednesday's violent rioting at the U.S. Capitol.
On Thursday, Mrs. Obama shared a lengthy message on social media and shared how her "heart had fallen harder and faster than" she could remember, just hours after celebrating the victory of newly-elected Georgia senator Raphael Warnock.
"I woke up yesterday elated by the news of Reverend Raphael Warnock's election victory. He'll be Georgia's first Black senator, and I was heartened by the idea that the senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church-the home parish of Dr. King and a spiritual and organizational hub during the Civil Rights Movement-would be representing his state in the United States Senate," Mrs. Obama began her statement.
"In just a few hours, though, my heart had fallen harder and faster than I can remember. Like all of you, I watched as a gang-organized, violent, and mad they'd lost an election-laid siege to the United States Capitol. They set up gallows. They proudly waved the traitorous flag of the Confederacy through the halls. They desecrated the center of American government. And once authorities finally gained control of the situation, these rioters and gang members were led out o the building not in handcuffs, but free to carry on with their days," she said, referencing the Black Lives Matter protests that took place in the summer.
© Jim Bennett/Getty; Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via GettyMichelle Obama
"The day was a fulfillment of the wishes of an infantile and unpatriotic president who can't handle the truth of his own failures. And the wreckage lays at the feet of a party and media apparatus that gleefully cheered him on, knowing full well the possibility of consequences like these," Mrs. Obama continued.
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Amid Trump's unfounded claims of election fraud, thousands gathered in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday for a pro-Trump rally. While addressing his supporters, Trump encouraged them to march to the Capitol, where lawmakers were meeting to ratify the electoral college votes.
"It all left me with so many questions-questions about the future, questions about security, extremism, propaganda, and more. But there's one question I just can't shake: What if these rioters had been like the folks go to Ebenezer Baptist Church every Sunday? What would have been different?" Mrs. Obama shared in her statement on Thursday.
In a video message released hours after the breach, Trump finally called on his supporters to go home, while also telling them, "we love you, you're very special."
The video, posted on Trump's social media, was soon removed or restricted on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere due to "risk of violence." On Thursday, Facebook went on to announce that Trump has been banned "indefinitely" from its platforms.
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While continuing to repeat his unfounded claims of election fraud, on Thursday morning, Trump officially agreed to an "orderly" transition of power.
In addition to delaying members of Congress from certifying President-elect Joe Biden's victory, the riots led to the deaths of four people.
Former President Barack Obama previously released a statement, calling the violent act "a moment of great dishonor and shame."
"History will rightly remember today's violence at the Capitol, incited by a sitting president who has continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election, as a moment of great dishonor and shame for our nation. But we'd be kidding ourselves if we treated it as a total surprise," he wrote, going on to take aim at Trump and his supporters' baseless claims of election fraud.
"Their fantasy narrative has spiraled further and further from reality, and it builds upon years of sown resentments. Now we're seeing the consequences, whipped up into a violent crescendo," he continued.
Obama then voiced his support for those who have condemned the riots, saying, "I've been heartened to see many members of the President's party speak up forcefully today."
"We need more leaders like these - right now and in the days, weeks, and months ahead as President-Elect Biden works to restore a common purpose to our politics," he added. "It's up to all of us as Americans, regardless of party, to support him in that goal."
Former presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter have also spoken out about the violence at the Capitol.