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“ ‘I think the biggest mistake anybody is going to make is try and rationalize what happened last week, what the president did and what that crowd did. There should be no mitigation at all. It was horrible. It was wrong. I’m shocked.’ ”
That’s Ken Langone, the billionaire co-founder of Home Depot HD, +0.47%, explaining to CNBC on Wednesday why he feels “betrayed” by the riots that erupted on Capitol Hill last week.
“Last Wednesday was a disgrace,” Langone continued. “It should never have happened in this country. If it doesn’t break every American’s heart, something is wrong. It breaks my heart, for sure. I didn’t sign up for that.” With that, Langone, who has backed Trump’s policies over the years as a GOP donor, urged the country to unite behind the president-elect.
“If there’s a time in history where all Americans need to be a patriot, this is that time,” he told CNBC. “I’m going to do everything I can from Day One to make sure I do my part to make Joe Biden the most successful president in the history of this country.”
Watch the interview:
Langone’s comments were made as the House prepared to vote on whether to impeach Donald Trump for inciting the insurrection; he would be the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. Trump, for his part, denied any responsibility for the violence, saying his speech was “totally appropriate.” He also slammed Democrats for their “ridiculous” plans to impeach him.
