-
Priti Patel: Trump's remarks 'led to violence' in US Capitol

UK home secretary urged to deny departing president entry to UK once he leaves office
The UK home secretary, Priti Patel, said Donald Trump’s incendiary remarks directly provoked the violence witnessed in the US Capitol as she urged him to condemn it.
“His comments directly led to the violence and so far he has failed to condemn that violence – and that is completely wrong,” she said.
She said the departing president’s statement, in which he said “we love you” to the rioters, and repeated his unproven claims of electoral fraud did “very little to de-escalate the situation”.
“He basically has made a number of comments yesterday that helped to fuel that violence and he didn’t do anything to de-escalate that whatsoever,” she told BBC Breakfast.
She called on the US president to condemn the violence from his supporters who stormed the Capitol.
“There’s no question about that at all. Someone was shot, people have died, this is terrible. Terrible beyond words, frankly, and there’s no justification for it,” she told Sky News.
But pressed on whether the Conservative government had got too close to Trump, she said it was time to look ahead to Joe Biden’s presidency.
“The fact of the matter is, they are now transitioning to a new president, to a president-elect.
“The prime minister has already been in touch with Joe Biden and certainly congratulated him. I think on that basis alone we move forward with one of our greatest allies in the world,” she told Radio 4’s Today programme. “This isn’t about going back and reflecting on personal relationships.”
The fact of the matter is: Donald Trump’s words were associated with violence, his comments directly led to violence. And so far, he has failed to condemn that violence, and that is wrong,” she said.
Boris Johnson had earlier called for a “peaceful and orderly transfer of power” after Trump supporters breached barricades and staged an occupation of the home of American democracy in Washington DC. He labelled the scenes “disgraceful”.
The Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, called them “horrendous”.
Scotland’s justice minister called on Patel to deny Trump entry to the UK once he leaves office. Humza Yousaf tweeted: “Once he leaves office if Trump tries to come to UK the home secretary should give serious consideration to denying him entry, she has the power if an applicant’s presence is not conducive to the public good.
“Trump’s default is to stir up racial tension and yesterday he incited a violent mob.”
The president owns two golf courses in Scotland, and on Tuesday the first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said the country’s travel ban would apply to Trump amid speculation he was planning an overseas golf trip during Biden’s inauguration.
source: Caroline Davies
Levant
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!