US President Donald Trump appealed for "healing and reconciliation" on January 7 following unprecedented scenes of violence at the US Capitol, pledging a smooth transition of power to President-elect Joe Biden. In a video message, Trump aimed to calm tensions after his supporters entered the US Capitol as Biden's election victory was being certified by lawmakers on January 6. Trump voiced outrage at the clashes that saw one woman shot dead by police at the seat of US government. Egged on by an aggrieved Trump speech, a flag-waving mob broke through barricades and swarmed inside the Capitol, ransacking offices and entering the usually solemn legislative floors. Meanwhile, President-elect Joe Biden noted on January 7 the double standard in law enforcement’s response to the breaching of Capitol Hill by the mob & the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters demanding racial justice in the US.
