Sen. Wicker: Division in America which lead to Capitol Hill riot ‘cannot be ignored’

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - The division in the United States, which culminated in an attack on the U.S. Capitol this week, is one that can no longer be ignored.

That is what Senator Roger Wicker is saying two days after a band of pro-Trump rioters broke into the Capitol, leading to fives deaths - one being a Capitol police officer. According to the Associated Press, the officer was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher during the riots.

“The U.S. has long been a beacon of freedom & the orderly transfer of power. Wednesday’s attempt to disrupt our democracy through lawlessness & intimidation was intended to cast doubt on that principle but was doomed to fail,” Wicker wrote on Twitter Friday. “The guardrails held, & the work of Congress continues.”

He then stated that if the United States wishes to continue to inspire others who are fighting for freedom around the world, “we must work together to rebuild confidence in our institutions.”

Democrats in Washington have since revealed their plans for impeaching President Trump for a second time, saying that he provoked the attack on the Capitol; a belief also held by Congressman Bennie Thompson who said that Trump “must be removed from office immediately.”

Some Republicans, including Senators Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have also shown interest in removing Trump.

To conclude his thoughts, Wicker called on all Americans to make clear “that we will not stand for this kind of attack on the rule of law” and that “we must prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those who seek to undermine our democratic processes through violence.”

Wicker and Thompson were the only two politicians in Mississippi who voted to certify the 2020 election results for President-elect Joe Biden. In a statement explaining his vote, Wicker wrote, in part, that “Congress cannot — and should not — get into the business of deciding the results of our elections.”

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Congressmen Michael Guest, Steven Palazzo and Trent Kelly all voted against certifying the election results.

Read Senator Wicker’s full statement below:

The U.S. has long been a beacon of freedom & the orderly transfer of power. Wednesday’s attempt to disrupt our democracy through lawlessness & intimidation was intended to cast doubt on that principle but was doomed to fail. The guardrails held, & the work of Congress continues.

However, the divisions that led to this chaotic attack on the U.S. Capitol cannot be ignored. If the United States is to continue to inspire others who are fighting for their fundamental freedoms worldwide, we must work together to rebuild confidence in our institutions.

In spite of our political differences, all Americans must make it clear that we will not stand for this kind of attack on the rule of law. And we must prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those who seek to undermine our democratic processes through violence.