7 Things: Resignations plague the White House, 5 including an Alabamian and a cop dies in U.S. Capitol riot, Palmer blames Trump and more …

7. Jones voices support for Garland

• Former U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) voiced his support for Judge Merrick Garland after it was announced that he’s President-elect Joe Biden’s choice for U.S. Attorney General.
• Jones said that “Garland will bring the integrity, professionalism and dedication to the DOJ that is badly needed.” Jones added that the chaos at the U.S. Capitol “underscore the challenges that he and his talented team will face on day one and they will need everyone’s support. He and the team certainly have mine.”

6. Trump social media suspended until Biden’s inauguration

• Facebook has announced that President Donald Trump’s account would be suspended indefinitely or at least until President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated following his posts about the riots at the U.S. Capitol, which were deemed in violation of the platform’s rules.
• Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted that the events on January 6 “demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden.” Zuckerberg went on to say that “the risk of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great.”

5. Democrats want to invoke the 25^th Amendment or impeach Trump

• U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have both called for the 25^th Amendment to be used to remove President Donald Trump from office, holding him responsible for the violence on Capitol Hill.
• Schumer said that Trump is “a very dangerous person,” while Pelosi said that if the 25^th Amendment isn’t used, then they’re considering introducing articles of impeachment to remove him from office. There are only 12 days before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.

4. White House promises a peaceful transition and condemns violence

• White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany gave an address to condemn the violence seen at the U.S. Capitol, which she called “appalling” and “reprehensible.” McEnany also said that this was “a group of violent rioters undermining the legitimate First Amendment rights of the many thousands who came to peacefully have their voices heard in our nation’s capital.”
• She went on to say that this is “the opposite of everything this administration stands for.” McEnany added, “Those who are working in this building are working to ensure an orderly transition of power.”

3. Alabamian dead in D.C., a police officer is fifth dead in U.S. Capitol riot

• Five people died at the U.S. Capitol as a result of the riots and protests that took place on Wednesday. Among those who passed away was a man from Athens, Kevin Greeson, who suffered a heart attack. Another Alabamian, Lonnie Coffman, of Falkville, was arrested.
• U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick was also killed in the melee when he was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher during the attack and was taken to a local hospital where he later died.

2. Palmer holds Trump responsible

• U.S. Representative Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) has responded to the violence at the U.S. Capitol by condemning the actions of those involved, but he went a step further by saying he views President Donald Trump as “responsible for sending those people to the Capitol.”
• Palmer stated that what happened at the Capitol was “an explosive situation” with people that were “there, I think, to incite something.” He added, “[W]ords and actions have consequences – unintended or not. We have to take responsibility for what we say and what we do, particularly when we have the magnetism and charisma that President Trump does.”

1. Trump’s circle deteriorates

• After the violence at the U.S. Capitol, former White House chief of staff and U.S. envoy to Northern Ireland Mick Mulvaney has resigned from his position. Mulvaney advised, “We didn’t sign up for what you saw last night.”
• Another in the administration to resign is Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. In a letter to department staff, Chao said, “Yesterday, our country experienced a traumatic and entirely avoidable event as supporters of the President stormed the Capitol building…it has deeply troubled me in a way that I simply cannot set aside.”