-I'm sorry.
Not just an inconvenience,
but I'm sorry for the reason we've delayed,
I've delayed coming out to speak to you.
I initially was going to talk about the economy,
but all of you,
all of you have been watching what I've been watching.
At this hour, our democracy is under unprecedented assault,
unlike anything we've seen in modern times --
an assault on the citadel of liberty, the Capitol itself,
an assault on the people's representatives
and the Capitol Hill police sworn to protect them
and the public servants who work at the heart of our republic,
an assault on the rule of law
like few times we've ever seen it,
an assault on the most sacred of American undertakings --
the doing of the people's business.
Let me be very clear.
The scenes of chaos at the Capitol
do not reflect a true America, do not represent who we are.
What we're seeing are a small number of extremists
dedicated to lawlessness.
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.
You heard me say before in a different context.
The words of a president matter,
no matter how good or bad that president is.
At their best, the words of a president can inspire.
At their worst, they can incite.
And, therefore, 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.
To storm the Capitol, to smash windows,
to occupy offices, the floor of the United States Senate,
rummaging through desks, on the Capitol,
on the House of Representatives,
threatening the safety of duly-elected officials --
it's not protest.
It's insurrection.
The world is watching, and like so many other Americans
I am genuinely shocked and saddened that our nation --
so long the beacon of light and hope for democracy --
has come to such a dark moment.
Through war and strife, America's endured much,
and we will endure here, and we will prevail again.
And we'll prevail now.
The work of the moment and the work of the next four years
must be the restoration of democracy, of decency,
honor, respect, the rule of law --
just plain, simple decency, the renewal of a politics
that's about solving problems, looking out for another,
not stoking the flames of hate and chaos.
As I said, America is about honor, decency,
respect, tolerance.
That's who we are.
That's who we've always been.
The certification of the Electoral College vote
is supposed to be a sacred ritual to affirm the purposes,
to affirm the majesty of American democracy.
But today's a reminder -- a painful one --
that democracy is fragile.
And to preserve it requires people of goodwill,
leaders with the courage to stand up,
who are devoted not to the pursuit of power
or their personal interest --
pursuits of their own selfish interests at any cost --
but of the common good.
Think what our children watching television are thinking.
Think what the rest of the world is looking at.
For nearly two and a half centuries, we the people,
in search of a more perfect union,
have kept our eyes on that common good.
America's so much better than what we've seen today.
Watching the scenes from the Capitol, I was reminded,
as I prepared other speeches in the past,
I was reminded of the words of Abraham Lincoln
in his annual message to Congress,
whose work has today been interrupted by chaos.
Here's what Lincoln said.
He said, "We shall nobly save,
or meanly lose, the last, best hope on Earth."
He went on to say, "The way is plain, peaceful, generous,
just -- a way, which if followed,
the world will forever applaud and God must forever bless."
The way is plain here, too.
That's who we are.
It's the way of democracy, of respect, of decency,
of honor, and commitment as patriots to this nation.
Notwithstanding what I saw today,
and we're seeing today,
I remain optimistic about the incredible opportunities.
There has never been anything we can't do
when we do it together.
And this god-awful display today
is bringing home to every Republican and Democrat
and independent in the nation that we must step up.
This is the United States of America.
There's never, ever, ever, ever,
ever been a thing we've tried to do
that if we've done it together, we've not been able to do it.
So, President Trump, step up.
May God bless America.
And may God protect our troops
and all those folks at the Capitol
who are trying to preserve order.
Thank you, and I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.