President-elect Joe Biden condemned the violent scenes in the U.S. Capitol that he said "bordered on sedition" as he called for President Donald Trump to "demand an end to this siege."
Protesters backing President Donald Trump breached the US Capitol, forcing a delay in the constitutional process to affirm Joe Biden's victory in the November election.
*The headline in this piece has been amended from the initial publication*
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In a brief speech in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden condemned the scenes saying: "This is not dissent. It's disorder. It's chaos. It borders on sedition and it must end now."
"I call on this mob to pull back and allow the work of democracy to go forward."
In a clear dig at President Trump he added: "The words of a president matter, no matter how good or bad that president.
"At their best, the words of a president can inspire. At their worst, they can incite.
"I call on President Trump to go on national television, now, to fulfill his oath and defend the Constitution and demand an end to this siege," he said.
"To storm the capitol, to smash windows, to occupy offices, the floor of the United States Senate, rummaging through desks … threatening the safety of duly elected officials, it's not protests. It's insurrection."
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He called on those storming the Capitol to stop their actions, saying that "our democracy is under unprecedented assault" but added that it was being carried out by a "small number of extremists dedicated to lawlessness."
"The scenes of chaos do not reflect the true America, do not represent who we are."
Responding to questions over whether he had concerns about his safety at the inauguration on January 20th Biden said "I am not concerned about my safety, security or the inauguration"
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