Obama, Bush, Clinton, Carter Condemn Trump Supporter Riots - FarsNews Agency

 Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter on Wednesday each condemned the mob of rioters who stormed the US Capitol — and lawmakers who sought to delegitimize the presidential election results beforehand.

“It is a sickening and heartbreaking sight,” Bush said in a statement, POLITICO reported.

“This is how election results are disputed in a banana republic — not our democratic republic,” he added.

Obama said the insurrection, in which at least one person died, will be remembered as "a moment of great dishonor and shame" and that his successor, President Donald Trump, is culpable.

He also faulted the Republican Party and the right-wing media ecosystem for the role they played in casting doubt on the integrity of recent elections.

"Their fantasy narrative has spiraled further and further from reality, and it builds upon years of sown resentments," Obama announced in a statement, adding, "Now we're seeing the consequences, whipped up into a violent crescendo."

Bush similarly stated the rioters who breached the building and remained there for hours were “inflamed by falsehoods and false hopes”.

“I am appalled by the reckless behavior of some political leaders since the election and by the lack of respect shown today for our institutions, our traditions, and our law enforcement,” the 43rd president noted.

Clinton said the seizure of parts of the Capitol was the disastrous result of "poison politics" and the proliferation of misinformation. But he added it did not shake his fundamental belief in the decency of the American people.

"If that’s who we really are, we must reject today’s violence, turn the page, and move forward together—honoring our Constitution, remaining committed to a government of the people, by the people, and for the people," Clinton continued.

Bush also urged people upset about the recent elections to stand down for the sake of American democracy.

“Our country is more important than the politics of the moment," Bush said, adding, “Let the officials elected by the people fulfill their duties and represent our voices in peace and safety.”

Carter denounced the day's events as a "national tragedy" and "not who we are as a nation". In a statement released by the Carter Center, the former president said he and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter were troubled by the violence and hoped for Americans to come together to resolve the conflict.

Carter's statement notably did not assign blame for the Capitol riots.

"Having observed elections worldwide, I know that we the people can unite to walk back from this precipice to peacefully uphold the laws of our nation, and we must," the statement read, adding, "We join our fellow citizens in praying for a peaceful resolution so our nation can heal and complete the transfer of power as we have for more than two centuries."