“The mafia was fed with lies; they were provoked by the president ”: Republican McConnell singles out Trump over Capitol riots

WASHINGTON  – The latest on Joe Biden’s inauguration.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is explicitly singling out President Donald Trump for helping spur the attack on Capitol Hill by supporters of the outgoing president.

The Kentucky Republican said in the Senate Tuesday: “The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people ”.

Republican Senate leader accuses Trump of “provoking” mob on Capitol Hill

McConnell spoke six days after the Democratic-led House accused Trump of inciting the Jan.6 attack. A Senate trial is expected to begin in the next few days on whether to convict Trump and perhaps bar him from holding federal office again.

After years of supporting Trump with little criticism of him, the influential McConnell has said he has not decided whether he would vote to convict him. His decision may be critical because in a Senate that will be split 50-50 between the two parties, it would take 17 Republicans to join all Democrats by the two-thirds margin necessary for conviction.

Joe Biden will replace Trump as president at noon on Wednesday.