The extraordinary situation that engulfed Washington after thousands of President Donald Trump's supporters, egged on by his speech, rioted in the US Capitol has taken the world by storm.
Amidst a global shock and dismay at the ungainly scenes, politicos all over the world have condemned the incidents of unlawful rioting, vandalism, and arson committed on the government building.
Twitter erupted with myriad reactions at the violent conduct Trump's supporters displayed in the Capitol building, and watched as the formal, boring, administrative capital city of the US turned into a spectacle for a day with mobs indulged in rioting in the citadel of democracy.
Amid the sea of confounded reactions, a controversial new video has emerged, which shows the Trump family in a celebratory mood shortly before the US Capitol siege.
All the President's Men
The video, which went viral on Twitter today, shows the President, his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric, daughter Ivanka, and several other officials celebrating in a makeshift tent as their 'Save America March' got underway on the streets. They could also be seen watching the violence unfold in several television screens set up at the tent.
Engaged in the revelry were also White House chief-of-staff Mark Meadows, and Trump Jr's girlfriend and advisor Kimberly Guilfoyle.
The video was posted by author and activist Amy Siskind on Twitter, and has triggered a host of reactions from angry netizens all across the world who take it as a hint of the US Capitol siege being "premeditated".
You can watch the clip here:
The people present in the tent seem to be having a jolly good time, dancing to Laura Branigan's 80s pop-hit 'Gloria', which plays in the background.
'Do the right thing, fight'
The video was shot by Donald Trump Jr, who goes on to say that the protestors were "patriots" who were "sick of the bullsh*t". He also thanked the ones carrying out the siege (rioters and anarchists) for doing what they were doing.
"Unfortunately there's a road in between the main crowd and the masses, I'd love to see them getting in closer because that would be pretty awesome, but this is pretty incredible," Trump Jr could be heard saying at the beginning of the footage.
As if not content with the ruinous effect this could cause on their respective political PR, Trump Jr then goes on to pan the footage across the tent to show whatever the rest of its constituents were doing.
His girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle makes a gleeful appearance, dancing to the beats of the 80s pop hit, before encouraging the viewers to "have the courage to do the right thing."
"Fight," she says, before the camera moves on to show the other officials around the tent.
White House chief-of-staff Mark Meadows also appears in the video clip, whereby Trump Jr calls him "a real fighter".
Donald Trump himself could be seen wearing what appeared to be a set of boxing gloves. Notably, the President had earlier told his supporters to "never give up" and "never concede" to the results of the 2020 US presidential elections, no matter how unfair they seemed, hours before the joint session of the Congress was scheduled to be held to certify the poll results.
'Almost a war office'
The video has now gathered considerable traction on social media, with netizens noting it as a clear act of incitement, especially with the repeated use of the word 'fight' in it.
"This is highly disturbing. It’s almost a war office. Really disturbing nothing else can describe this. Arrest them all. Prosecute them," a Twitter user demanded.
"The atmosphere was clear ... Strategic ambiguity equals plausible deniability," one commenter said.
Trump condemns mayhem (much later)
Notably, President Donald Trump had later condemned the mayhem caused by his supporters in the US Capitol, saying they do not represent America, as the beleaguered president vowed to ensure a "smooth, orderly and seamless" transition of power to President-elect Joe Biden.
"Like all Americans, I am outraged by the violence, lawlessness and mayhem. I immediately deployed the national guard and federal law enforcement to secure the building and expel the intruders," Trump said in the recorded video posted on YouTube on Thursday and released by the White House.
The demonstrators who infiltrated the Capitol have defiled the seat of American democracy, he said. "To those who engaged in the acts of violence and destruction, you do not represent our country. And to those who broke the law, you will pay. We have just been through an intense election and emotions are high, but now tempers must be cooled, and calm restored," he said.
Delivered in monotone and read from a teleprompter, Trump's remarks bore little resemblance to those on Wednesday, in which he told his rioting supporters, "We love you."
As one Twitter user noted in a somewhat blunt, but perhaps brutally honest and a bit pitiful tone, "Trump told them he was coming with them, then got in the limo and drove the opposite direction."
