US President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday (local time) called on President Donald Trump to appear on national television and condemn his supporters after they breached the US Capitol amid violent protests.
"The words of a president matter, no matter how good or bad that president is. At their best, the words of a president can inspire. At their worst, they can incite. Therefore, I call on President Trump to go on national television now to fulfill his oath and defend the Constitution and demand an end to this siege," Biden said during an address from Wilmington, Delaware.
The President-elect said he was 'shocked and saddened' that the nation had come to such a 'dark moment', and called the protests an 'insurrection'.
"At this hour, our democracy is under unprecedented assault, unlike anything we have seen in modern times, an assault on the citadel of liberty, the capitol itself, an assault on the people's representatives, the Capitol Hill police, sworn to protect them, and the public servants, who work at the heart of our republic," he said.
"President Trump, step up!" Biden added.
He also said that the work of the next four years must be for the restoration of democracy in the country.
"Today's reminder, a painful one, that democracy is fragile and to preserve it requires people of good will," he said.
A chaotic and violent scene unfolded at the Capitol on Wednesday as supporters of President Trump swarmed the building to protest the Electoral College vote, forcing a lockdown and various confrontations with police, reported The hill.
Rioters overpowered police and broke into the Capitol to protest as a joint session of Congress convened to certify President-elect Joe Biden's win.
Some rioters broke into the Senate chamber, with one getting up on the dais and yelling "Trump won that election", according to The Hill.
Several lawmakers have called on Trump to condemn the actions of his supporters.
The development comes as scores of Republicans have pledged to challenge the Electoral College's vote for Biden when Congress convenes for a joint session on Wednesday.
( With inputs from ANI )
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