On Wednesday, former President Barack Obama blamed conservative media and and the GOP for the storming of Capitol Hill by Trump supporters and others who rioted throughout Congress.
In a statement, Obama said Trump encouraged the violence, but also blamed the Republican Party and “its accompanying media ecosystem” for supposedly being dishonest.
Here’s my statement on today’s violence at the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/jLCKo2D1Ya
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 7, 2021
RELATED: Trump Tells His Supporters To Go Home In Peace After They Storm The Capitol
Obama: ‘Now We’re Seeing The Consequences, Whipped Up Into A Violent Crescendo’
Obama wrote, “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 added.
Obama urged Republican leaders to “choose reality” and stop flaming “raging fires.”
Obama called the Capitol riots a “moment of great dishonor and shame for our nation” but also added that Americans would be “kidding ourselves” if they were surprised that it happened.
Obama did praise some Republicans for speaking against Trump’s claims about election fraud.
“I’ve been heartened to see many members of the President’s party speak up forcefully today,” he wrote, praising Georgia Republican leaders for rejecting Trump’s claims about the election results in their state.
NEW: Former President Barack Obama issues a statement on today's insurrection, saying it was "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."
His full statement: pic.twitter.com/WVUeXDgJf2
— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) January 7, 2021
During the unrest at the Capitol, police shot and killed an unarmed protester, 14-year Air Force veteran Ashli Babbit.
Three others are reported to have died from separate “medical emergencies” during the day.
Obama Praises Election Of Raphael Warnock In Georgia
“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,” Obama wrote.
Regarding Biden potentially uniting the nation, Obama noted, “It’s up to all of us as Americans, regardless of party, to support him in that goal.”
Further comments on the Georgia runoff election results included congratulating Democrat Raphael Warnock who defeated incumbent Republican Senator David Perdue on Tuesday.
Obama on Warnock win: "John Lewis is surely smiling down on his beloved Georgia this morning" https://t.co/qmF3cJ0hUR pic.twitter.com/grRfhrDyOo
— The Hill (@thehill) January 6, 2021
“My friend John Lewis is surely smiling down on his beloved Georgia this morning, as people across the state carried forward the baton that he and so many others passed down to them,” Obama wrote.
“Georgia’s first Black senator will make the chamber more reflective of our country as a whole and open the door for a Congress that can forego gridlock for gridlock’s sake to focus instead on the many crises facing our nation—pandemic relief for struggling families, voting rights, protecting our planet, and more,” Obama added.