World Leaders Rebuke Trump Vigilantes Who Stormed and Vandalized US Capitol

Global leaders have reacted with disgust after Trump extremists, some armed, bombarded the U.S. Capitol trying to halt congressional certification of the 2020 election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden.

"Disgraceful scenes in U.S. Congress," Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson posted on Twitter. "The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power."

French President Emmanuel Macron also weighed in. "When, in one of the world's oldest democracies, supporters of an outgoing president take up arms to challenge the legitimate results of an election, a universal idea - that of 'one person, one vote' - is undermined.

"What happened today in Washington DC is not American, definitely. We believe in the strength of our democracies. We believe in the strength of American democracy," he added.

Brutal images and video of marauding Trump supporters bludgeoning their way into the Capitol as Congress members barricaded themselves inside and Capitol Police drew their guns, transfixed viewers around the globe.

The chaos stunned international politicians. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that what she saw was "utterly horrifying."

Even Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, who sides with Trump when many of his foreign counterparts do not, called the president's adherents deplorable in their attack on Congress.

 "The rampage at the Capitol yesterday was a disgraceful act that must be vigorously condemned. I have no doubt that American democracy will prevail — it always has," he said Wednesday in Jerusalem.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the scenes of destruction left her angry and sad.

"A basic rule of democracy is that after elections there are winners and losers," she said. "Both have their part to play with decency and responsibility so that democracy itself remains secure. And I very much regret that President Trump has not admitted defeat since November and failed to do so again yesterday."

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said the rioting constituted the obliteration of democracy.

"What we saw in the United States last night showed annihilation of Western democracy in the world," according to the Mehr news agency. He added, "Everyone saw what a populist did to his country and damaged his country's reputation in the international arena."

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