Late yesterday evening, President Trump addressed the nation to discuss the attack on the Capitol, his thoughts on election integrity, and plans for the future. The speech was released on the president's Twitter account, which had been reinstated – at least temporarily.
Here is the address:
Supporters of the president commented that the speech hit the "perfect pitch." However, many in the media suggested that it was too little, too late.
What Next for the Media?
Over the next 13 days, we can expect anti-Trump sentiments to remain high within the press and the Democratic Party as calls for another impeachment – this time under the 25th Amendment – come in fast and furious. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer explained to the media that they were attempting to contact Vice President Pence to begin impeachment proceedings. In a joint statement, they said:
"They kept us on hold for 25 minutes and then said the vice president wouldn't come on the phone … So we are making this call public because he should do it and do it right away."
The president is facing censure both from Democrats in Congress and from social media platforms. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg released a statement claiming that the president intended to use his time left in office to "undermine the peaceful transition of power." He also announced that "we are extending the blocks placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks."
YouTube also released new restrictions that will almost certainly impact Trump supporters. The post stated, "Due to the disturbing events that transpired yesterday, and given that the election results have now been certified, starting today *any* channels posting new videos with false claims in violation of our policies will now receive a strike."
This includes "claiming widespread voter fraud changed the result of the 2020 election."
What Next for MAGA?
The president's message ended by offering hope to his supporters, saying that "our incredible journey is only just beginning." With many traditionally Republican voters feeling let down by elected officials in their party, Trump's offer of optimism could spell the start of a GOP restructuring. If this is so, Donald Trump will likely be the lead architect.
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Read more from Mark Angelides.
