The world sees America’s turmoil as a warning
Global leaders watched as a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, an attack in which four people died, and many saw it as a warning to democracies everywhere. Several placed the blame squarely on President Trump.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand said she and others in her country were “devastated” by the events. Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany did not mince words about Mr. Trump’s role. “He stoked uncertainties about the election outcome and that created an atmosphere that made the events of last night possible,” she said.
The institutions of democracy prevailed, but the images of mob rule in Washington touched a particular nerve in fractured Western societies, our Paris bureau chief writes. If it could happen at democracy’s heart, it could happen anywhere.
The latest: In the U.S., there were growing calls for Mr. Trump’s immediate removal from office for his role in urging on the violent mob, and a wave of resignations. Facebook announced it would block Mr. Trump from posting through the end of his term, including on Instagram, which it owns. Twitter suspended the president’s account, and the shopping platform Shopify shuttered the campaign’s online store. Charges against the rioters may come today. At least 52 people have been arrested, including five on weapons charges.
The New York Times